New Year's Love
by 2oswaldsinthetardis
Summary: First story! AU, Tony's a lawyer, Steve's his assistant. Through their friends, they end up going to the same party as dates, but they just don't know it yet. Cue romance, and a lot of misunderstandings.
1. Chapter 1

Hello everyone! I wanted to start posting my stories online, so please read and enjoy!

New Years Love

Rating: T

It's an AU. Tony's a lawyer, Steve's his assistant. Through their friends, they end up going to the same party as dates, but they just don't know it yet. I wanted to write something special for a friend for New Years, and she requested a Stony fic.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 1**

_What is it you're thankful for this year?_

Steve didn't know how to answer that. He had a job, which was something he was definitely thankful for. Steve worked as an assistant for a law firm, so he was doing fine. He had food, clothes, and a small apartment, filled with countless books and novelty items he had collected over the years.

He pondered this question at work as he ran around the office, finding files and talking to various clients for the firm.

"Steve, Mr. Stark is calling you into his office," one of the receptionists called out to him. He sighed, and made his way to the tall doors, and headed inside. A man sat in a high-backed chair, chattering away on his phone, not noticing when Steve walked in.

"I've heard it before Potts. No, I won't go… I don't care if the entire Earth showed up, you can't make me… Dammit! And you want me to… Sigh, only because you're my friend. That's it!" The man slammed his phone onto the desk making Steve wince.

"Is there something you need Mr. Stark?" Steve asked calmly. He knew not to mess with Mr. Stark when he was fuming, but he did have to talk to the man.

"Yes, go get those files for the Peterson case for me. And a coffee while you're at it," Mr. Stark grumbled.

"Right away sir," Steve said, walking out of the office. He sighed, and went to the coffee machine. One of the receptionists looked at him with sympathetic eyes.

"He asked you to make him coffee again huh?"

"Yeah. I don't know why he doesn't ask one of you to do it, seeing as it is right behind your desks."

"He's anal about it," Another chimed in. She smirked as she looked at Steve fiddling with the knobs. "I bet you make his day when you walk in with a perfect cup of coffee."

Steve snorted. "Yeah, until he finds something else to gripe about."

He let the machine pour the hot drink, and went to gather the files Mr. Stark requested. With a steaming mug of coffee in one hand, he headed back to Mr. Stark's office, balancing the files as he opened the door.

"Took your time with that didn't you?" Mr. Stark commented, typing away furiously at his computer. Steve gritted his teeth, but he said nothing. He placed the files on the desk, and handed his boss the drink.

"I'll be going now," Steve said politely, wanting to get away before Mr. Stark said anything about the coffee. He walked briskly to the doors as he heard the man sipping away at the drink.

—

Dinners with Clint and Natasha were few and far in between, but Steve enjoyed them immensely. His friends worked long hours, and every so often they managed to pull away from their work to prepare proper meals for Steve.

"Honestly Steve, you need to learn to cook!" Natasha griped as she placed a plate of steamed green peas on the table. Steve made a face at the peas, but continued to eat the steak in front of him.

"Tasha, Steve can't cook," Clint said as he sat down at the table, cutting his steak into small bites. "He's tried, burned every apartment we rented together. The fire department still sends him letters begging him to cease and desist."

"It's true Tasha. I'm a fire hazard, I can't be near a kitchen," Steve said with a grin. "You can't let me starve just because I was born with a terrible curse."

Natasha glared at the blond. "Still, it doesn't mean you can get away with just eating freezer meals and cereal."

"And Chinese takeout," Clint muttered, taking a bite from his meal.

"Roger that, _Dad_," Steve said, and Clint chucked a few peas at him.

"Watch it pal. Tasha and I were going to take you out to a party on New Year's Eve, but if you don't behave we'll let you starve alone instead," Clint said in his best "dad" voice.

"If there's food I'll behave," Steve said, grabbing a roll from the bread basket.

"Oh yeah. It's sponsored by some fancy company and a wealthy law firm, so there's gonna be some good eats," Clint said smugly. "Tasha took one for the team and asked her friend for the invites."

"She was really nice about it. It just came with a catch is all," Tasha looked at Steve, who was busy nibbling at the bread in his hands. "You have to go with one of her friends to the party."

Silence filled the apartment as Steve stopped his chewing. It took a moment for him to respond.

"Tasha, what did you say?"

Natasha sighed. "Pepper's friend needs a date to the event. He's a big shot, so it would be best if he had someone there instead of him showing up alone."

"And it has to be me?" Steve grumbled, feeling considerably full all of a sudden.

"She says he prefers blondes," Natasha said.

"Hey, you'll probably enjoy the fancy feast they have for the big wigs anyways. And anyways, at least you won't be alone for New Years! Maybe you'll get a kiss at midnight if you behave~" Clint said, and he snickered as a few peas were thrown his way.

"I gave her your number so he can contact you before the party," Natasha added.

Steve sighed. "Tasha, I don't even know this guy…"

"It could be good for you Steve. You don't really date anyways, maybe he could be a nice guy and you two could really hit it off," She said. Steve hated how worried she sounded for him, so he did the most logical thing at the time. At least, in his mind.

"Okay, I'll do it. If it doesn't work out though…"

"I'll make you steak every day," She chirped, "And cupcakes."

Steve grinned. "This is sounding like a good idea already."

—

"This is unexpected Potts," Tony Stark said. He was in his condo when his best friend popped in with countless RSVPs and a small slip of paper. Running his fingers through his hair, Tony began regretting letting Pepper Potts persuade him to place money for the party. Because his firm was a large contributor, he had to attend the stupid thing.

"Why did I do it? Why did I agree to sponsor this party?" he asked his ceiling.

"I told you it would be good for your family's firm, and I threatened to invest your money in kid friendly screwdrivers," Pepper said simply, making a list for those attending the party.

"Yeah, what the hell are those?" Tony said.

"Your newest investments if you don't stop moping and help me organize these cards."

"I swear Pepper Potts, if you hadn't already done me a hundred favors, hired my staff, and invested my money in useful stock, you would be running for the hills with the hell I would raise," Tony griped, but he got on his knees and helped the woman sort everything out.

"Well, you should thank me. I'm a party planner, not your assistant," she said.

"I'd hire you. Better than the useless idiot you got me. At least he makes good coffee," Tony mused.

"Since you couldn't be bothered to show up for the interviews, I think I chose the right person for the job. Besides, you wouldn't be able to afford me, I'm not easily bought."

"So you say. How much are they paying you for this gig?" Pepper pinched Tony, but declined to say. Tony snickered, but Pepper put him in his place.

"Do you have a date for the party?"

Tony glared. "I don't have to have a date for this do I?"

"Yes, if you value your reputation," Pepper said as she pulled out her laptop and started an excel spreadsheet.

"I don't want to go then. The party's a week away, how am I going to find someone?"

"Say 'Pepper Potts, you are the most talented person in the world and I am honored to be in your presence.'"

"What?" Tony asked his friend, not sure what he heard."

"You have to thank people when they things for you Tony. The slip of paper is for you." She motioned to the forgotten paper, and Tony held it up.

_Steve_

_(222) 321-XXXX_

"A date?" Tony said.

"Yeah. He works at a law firm too, so you should have a lot in common."

"Not going to happen Potts. He could be a pervert for all I know," Tony said.

"Then I suggest you call up one of your one-night stands, because every other respectable man was busy," Pepper said as she typed away.

Tony groaned. He knew he had no shot of finding someone to put up with him in a week. He had an innate ability to make people run for the hills. It was a surprise that Pepper had stuck with him for so long.

"The number's so that you can call him, text him, whatever. Just don't run this one off, he's important."

Tony rolled his eyes. "Can't be that important. I would have seen him by now at the get-togethers the law firms have."

"He's friends with someone I know. Try to get along with him, or else."

* * *

Please review! It would help me alot. Thanks!


	2. Chapter 2

I definitely want to thank everyone who's favorited and followed this story. Thank you guys! It definitely helps that there are people reading this. I want to have this story mostly done by New Year's Eve, so I can show my friend when she comes back. Definitely expect updates in the next couple of days, but I can't make any promises as to when.

Anyways, I wanted to have Tony and Steve talking without giving too much away. Texting seems like the best option, so through most of the chapter, the two will be texting to each other. It's will be in italics, so you'll know.

This is T-rated, so expect a few swears, a couple of snarky comments, and probably a few spelling/grammar errors. If you find any, please let me know so I can fix them.

Enjoy!

**_Bold italics: Tony_**

_Italics: Steve_

* * *

**Chapter 2**

"Anthony, don't embarrass your family at this party, you hear me?"

"I know dad. You don't have to remind me," Tony said, pinching his nose as his father spoke to him over the phone. Tony droned out the sound of his father when his assistant came in, holding a cup of coffee and his dry cleaning. He gave a quick nod to the blond man, and flinched as his father made him look like a complete fool in front of his assistant.

"Ms. Potts is such a good girl, but no, I get saddled with a homosexual son who can't keep it in his pants long enough to worry about his family."

"Say hello and goodbye to my stepmother for me father dear," Tony answered coldly, and promptly ended the call. "Sorry about that."

"It's fine," Steve said politely. Tony waved him off, and Steve left to his desk, where a pile of documents needed to be filed, and the phone was ringing.

"It's going to be a long day huh?" He said to himself.

"Steve! Don't forget I'm having my baby shower today!" One of the receptionists said.

"I'll be there Donna!" He responded, sitting in his creaky chair.

"You know what will happen if you don't show up~" Donna said, and the other receptionists snickered. Steve gulped, he remembered the last time he forgot to attend one of the receptionist's parties. It involved a razor, super glue, and lots of moth balls. Steve couldn't walk right for a week. Needless to say, he was definitely not going to miss the party.

* * *

It was late in the afternoon when the first text came.

**_Hello, is this Steve? I'm Tony, Pepper's friend. _**

Steve grimaced. He was swamped with work, but his date managed to text him. "At least he has the decency to text me," he says to himself. Steve types back a response.

_Hello Tony, it is Steve. _

It's formal, but Steve is not sure how to respond. Fortunately Tony seems to be better at this than him.

**_Ah well, I suppose you're aware of my situation. I just wanted to know a little more about you before the party so it's not weird between us._**

_Of course I understand._

**_Could we meet tonight for dinner? I won't have any other time before the party to meet with you._**

_Unfortunately, I have plans tonight. _

**_What plans do you have tonight? Can they be canceled?_**

Steve stops for a bit. Of course he can't, if he doesn't show up to the baby shower, he'll be in hell for the rest of the week! The Stark receptionists were a force to be reckoned with, and Steve was not ready to face public humiliation or death.

_I have to attend a work friend's baby shower. Unless I wish to die before the new year, no I can't cancel. How about this? If you really want to know me, you ask me any question over text, and I'll answer it. Though there's nothing really important to know about me._

**_Ah yes, pregnant hormonal women. Not my style, but I get that you're watching your neck. Well, I'll ask you some questions now. How old are you?_**

Tony's response definitely put a smile on his face.

_I'm 26._

**_I'm 28. _**

_So there's some age difference._

**_It's fine, I like them young._**

_What? I'm only two years younger than you!_

**_A lot happened in two years Steve. I am older and wiser than you._**

_Really? So what do you do for a living, o wise one? Poach on innocent children?_

**_Ouch, that was below the belt. I work at a law firm thank you very much. In fact, I'm the head of a law firm. What about you?_**

_I work at a law firm too._

**_So I've heard. Which one?_**

Steve thought about telling him, but he did not want to cause Mr. Stark any problems by telling a complete stranger about the firm. Tony could be working at a competing law firm for ll he knew. Steve was keen on keeping his job, for the sake of his mother.

_Not important. I'm just a lowly assistant, handling some jerk's dry cleaning and rummaging through his mail._

**_Oh I see. It seems kind of demeaning though._**

_Well, I'm glad I have a job at least. There's not much you can do with an art degree from a small university._

**_I have a law degree from Harvard, graduated top of my class at Stanford, and attended one of the most prestigious high schools in the country. I can't imagine._**

_Wow. How do you stay on the ground with that hot head of yours?_

**_Some really comfortable shoes. How about family?_**

_Mother, no father or siblings._

**_Hmm, father, stepmother, no siblings._**

By the time Steve checked the time, his shift had ended and he still had a couple more envelopes to open. He deiced to leave them be, and headed out to his apartment to change for the baby shower. All the while Steve fought with Tony over text.

* * *

"Is something the matter Mr. Stark?" One of his father's business associates asked him as Tony grinned from ear to ear at Steve's latest text.

"Nothing at all. Carry on," He motioned for the meeting to continue, as he typed a response to Steve.

**_Can't say that I can fly, but my private jet certainly helps whenever I travel._**

Steve took a little while to respond.

_So what about your friends?_

_**What about my friends?**_

_Why aren't you taking any of them to the party?_

**_Because, oh Steve of little money, no one can handle my snark or wit. It's a wonder that you haven't already asked me to fuck off or go die. Besides, I don't have many friends, and the ones I have are all busy that day._**

_Well, seems to me you could just buy yourself a nice escort with all the spare cash you have lying around._

**_You sure do think you know me huh? _**

_I'm not saying I know you, I'm saying I know how to deal with people like you. My boss is kinda like you._

**_Smart?_**

_No, cocky._

Howard Stark broke Tony out of his texting spree. "The meeting's over Anthony. Stop texting your newest tramp for one minute to say goodbye to our partners. Your stepmother wants you home for dinner tonight, do not forget." Tony snarled.

"Oh yeah, I definitely want to go home now. Why don't I just go fuck my 'tramp' then, seeing as that's the only thing I'm good at?"

"You watch your tone Anthony. You work under my name, I expect you to treat me with the respect I deserve as your father and as your boss." Howard Stark marched off, leaving Tony in the meeting room fuming.

The baby shower was fun, but Steve hardly noticed. The whole time he texted Tony, testing out the waters. Tony seemed to be fine with the things Steve said, but Steve wondered if he ever pushed too far.

_**How's the raging hormonal shower?**_

Steve smiled. At least he hadn't offended Tony yet.

_Over, luckily for me. What about you?_

**_More family fun time. My stepmother's convinced I need to get along with my father so she's making us sit down and have dinner together._**

_Sounds like it will be a barrel of laughs._

**_More like World War Three. Sometimes I just want them to leave me alone ._**

"How curious," Steve said softly.

_Have you ever told daddy dearest?_

**_No. He'd hang me first. You know, as a kid I wanted to be a scientist who invented cool gadgets, but he ripped that idea out of my head._**

_My mother always respected my decisions. She's still proud I went to school, but sometimes I just want to help her out and not be such a burden._

**_Steve?_**

_Yes Tony?_

**_This is getting very touchy feely. Wanna change the subject?_**

* * *

"Who the heck keeps texting you Steve?" Clint asked. He had invited Steve out for lunch, and they were sitting in a small diner across from Steve's work.

"Tony," Steve said between bites. His double bacon cheeseburger was halfway eaten, his large order of fries already polished off.

"You eat like a trucker Steve. And is this Tony the guy you're schmoozing over on Monday?" Clint asked, taking small bites of his sandwich.

"Yep. Although the way it's going he's going to have to schmooze me if he keeps up the snark," Steve said, patting his belly. "Thanks Clint, I was just gonna eat some chips and stale cake for lunch."

"Tasha was afraid you were going to say something like that. How's your mom?" Clint asked.

"She's fine. I keep sending her money, and she's alwas saying she doesn't need it. Also she sends me stale popcorn and some protein bars."

"Well, you can't even turn on a microwave correctly, why would she trust you with her amazing cooking?" Clint said.

"Yeah, she said that to me. Honestly, she's glad I have you two to feed me when I'm a walking fire hazard," Steve grinned. "At least I make a decent cup of coffee."

"Yeah the dirt water they sell here stinks. You should totally open up your own coffee shop," Clint grumbled, sneering at his now cold coffee.

"After I win the lottery, I'll think about it," Steve said, checking the time. "I have to go, Mr. Stark probably wants me to go get him coffee before the Newman deposition. The man drinks at least five cups of coffee a day, I swear…"

"Hey, definitely come over tonight okay? Tasha's making Swedish meatballs!" Clint said.

"You had me at meatballs," Steve said, smiling as he headed for the Stark building.

* * *

Please review!


	3. Chapter 3

Well, it's a little late, and I have to head out now. First things first, thank you to everyone who's replied! You've made my day :)

This chapter's not that bad. But definitely expect a surprise next chapter, which I will post tomorrow! If there are spelling errors, please don't hesitate to tell me.

Enjoy!

* * *

In the span of three days, Tony knew Steve like the back of his hand. He knew the times it was appropriate to text him (because heaven know 3 AM is not a good time to text someone), what buttons not to push (Steve's mom, or his shoe size), and definitely Steve's interests (burning kitchens down, eating).

What he realized though, was that even though he knew a lot about Steve, he didn't know a few things. Namely, who eh worked for, his last name, or even what he looked like. Steve danced around those questions. He wanted to avoid questions about the Stark Law Firm, and until Tony told him his last name, he too would avoid saying his.

**_Four more days Steve. Can you really hold out against me?_**

_I am right now aren't I?_

**_You're avoiding the question._**

_We'll see at the party. Don't want to give too much away._

**_Secret Agent Steve huh?_**

Steve snorted at Tony's text. Some of the receptionists looked at him, but he just shrugged his shoulders "I'm texting a friend."

"Oh is that what we're calling it these days? Excuse us, we old women didn't know," One of them said, and the others snickered.

"I'm not dating this guy," Steve said. The receptionist tutted.

"You've been staring at your phone from the moment you entered the building. When you get a text, you immediately start smiling like you just won the lottery. When you send a text, your face blushes, like you just sent your crush something funny and you're thinking about it."

Steve frowned. "I don't do that."

"Sweetie, there's nothing we girls can do better than to figure out a crush. Poor Donna didn't stand a chance when we told her about the lawyer downstairs who kept calling her."

"Took them three months, but now they're having a baby. Seems right that it won't take you long to realize it too," another receptionist added.

"Mr. Stark calling. He needs you Steve." Steve stood, and headed towards the office.

"Don't take too long. Your lover might be texting you soon!"

* * *

"You called Mr. Stark?"

Tony swiveled his chair to glance at his assistant. "Yes, I need you to file the documents on the desk. When you're done, I expect you to bring me my coffee and some scones to my office, pronto."

"Yes sir," Steve said. The stack of papers was impressive, but Steve managed to get them to his desk. His phone was flashing, and he checked his messages.

**_I can't seem to escape work. My assistant's useless as usual, I just sent him to do something simple and he takes off with all the papers on my desk._**

_He's probably swamped. Believe me, dealing with your kind really exhausts us normal people._

**_Define "my kind"._**

_Snotty, rich, holier-than-thou folk._

**_Well, I'm talking to you aren't I? I can just forget about finishing some cases before I leave for my meeting, thanks to my assistant._**

Steve tried to ignore his urge to reply as he worked, but he knew Mr. Stark would chastise him for taking too long.

Meanwhile, Tony was growing impatient. Steve had stopped texting him, and his assistant was taking far too long with his coffee. He had to leave in a couple of minutes!

The door opened, and Steve walked in with his coffee in a travel mug, scones in a paper napkin, and a few papers in his hand.

"Thought you might like these back, and your cab is waiting downstairs," Steve said.

"Yeah sure. Go back to what you were doing," Tony said, walking past the man. He didn't notice his grip on the coffee mug, so when he walked off, he managed to spray some of the hot drink onto Steve's shirt.

A loud curse formed in Steve's mouth, but h stopped himself from yelling it out. The coffee had been freshly made, so he had felt little daggers piercing his skin where the coffee had spilled. Of course his boss paid no attention as he walked off.

Steve made it to his desk, still a little angry, as he replied to Tony's text.

_Honestly, if you hate how he works so much, why don't you tell him?_

**_And why would I do that?_**

_He could change his habits; maybe make a few changes to his way of doing things. Beats feeling like an idiot every time your boss even looks at you._

**_Is little Steve having troubles with his boss?_**

_Well, he's definitely an A-class asshole. He splashed some coffee on me as he was walking out of his office._

**_Damn, I hope I never do that to mine. He might be an idiot, but that's just cruel._**

Steve smiled a bit. Tony was definitely different than Mr. Stark. He hunched over as he replied, not wanting the receptionists to see the huge blush on his face.

_Yeah well, your assistant is pretty lucky to be working for you._

**_Everyone who works with me is pretty lucky to even be in my presence._**

_And there's the hot head again._

**_Ha._**

* * *

"Tasha for the last time, everything you wear looks amazing. Can we go to Red Robin now?" Steve whined. He was dress shopping with Natasha, but it had been hours and he wanted his food now.

"Okay, I like this one anyways. I actually had this one in mind the whole time."

"Tasha," Steve pouted. "You made me walk around this shopping center five times walk into seven different dress shops, and you already knew what you wanted to wear?"

"They had some nice suits I wanted you to see, if you didn't think with your stomach, you would've noticed," Natasha said.

"Yeah well, you're wasting my day off and I want bottomless fries now."

"Red Robin's gonna run out of fries before you're finished," Natasha sighed, and headed back to the dressing room.

"The name says it all Tasha. They have to feed me fries or else they're liars," Steve pointed out. Natasha walked out, holding the dress in one hand.

"Well, while we're here, can we get your measurements taken?"

"Why? Am I going somewhere?" Steve asked.

"The New Year's Eve party? Everyone has to dress up Steve, it says so on the invitation," Natasha said.

"You never said…" Steve started out saying, but Natasha cut him off.

"You had bigger things to worry about. Think about the food. Don't you want to go for the food?"

Steve grinned sheepishly. "Of course, but I also don't want to make Tony look like a fool. You should've told me, I would have asked my mom to send me my suit from graduation."

"You don't want to rent one?" Natasha asked.

"Nope, it's my life mission to avoid wearing a rented suit. Who knows what people have done in those things? They could be infected for all I know."

"Clint's wearing a rented suit!" Natasha responded.

"And when he gets genital herpes he can blame the rental company."

"Oh come on, that only happens to one in a million people."

Steve stood his ground. "Yes, and chances are I'll be one of those people. I'm already a fire hazard; I don't need to add STIs to the list."

"Honestly…" Natasha sighed, heading off to the cashier to pay for the dress in her hand. "So what are you going to wear? The party's in two days, you know."

"I'll think of something. Definitely can't afford a new suit though. Maybe I'll wear my work clothes, those look presentable."

"You mean your dirty pile of clothes that you haven't even bothered to wash?"

"Hush now, don't remind me," Steve said. They walked out of the shop, heading for the Red Robin across the way.

"Ask your date what he wants you to wear okay?" Natasha said. "I don't want you to become the laughing stock of the city."

"Tasha, my face is on every fire department's promotional posters for avoiding fire hazards. I think I'm already a laughing stock."

* * *

_What sort of attire should I wear to the party? Is jeans and a fancy shirt enough?_

**_Only if you want to stick out like a sore thumb. Rent a tux or something._**

_Those infested sacks of clothes? No thanks._

**_Do you won a suit?_**

_No._

**_You can't honestly tell me that you're not going to wear a suit. The whole point of you coming with me is to make me look good in the press, not to ruin my image._**

_I'll be subtle I swear. The shirt's got a few stains, but it looks fine._

**_No, it has to be perfect, you have to look the part!_**

_Well, what is your suggestion?_

**_I'll buy you one._**

_You're hilarious._

**_No seriously! I can get you the perfect outfit!_**

_You're not buying me a suit Tony. I have standards and I am not a charity case._

**_I see it as an investment. If things go well, you can keep it. Otherwise, you can return it._**

_No!_

**_I'll send my friend. She's a real Spartan about everything, and she'll definitely go out of her way to make sure everything goes according to plan._**

_You won't let this rest will you?_

**_Nope._**

* * *

On Saturday, Steve found himself being rushed out of his bed at 7 am in the morning by Natasha and a blond haired woman talking fast on her phone.

"Phil, it's an emergency. No, don't remind me… Yes it's for Stark… I'll take care of it!" She said quickly into the phone.

"What's going on?" Steve said sleepily. Natasha dragged him to his bathroom, and handed him his towel.

"This is Pepper," Steve started to yawn, so he paid no attention to what Natasha said after that. "Go take a shower, Pepper's really busy and this is the only time she has free!"

Fifteen minutes later, he walked out of the shower, only to have the two women waiting right outside the door.

"He's definitely a looker. Where have you been hiding him Natasha?" Pepper said, looking at the lean muscle in Steve's shoulder. "Phil is going to have a field day with him."

"Steve's a hermit. Give him food and he'll follow," Natasha said.

"It's a good thing there's an IHOP right across the street. I have Tony's credit card, so we can go there and get him something."

"You had me at IHOP," Steve said with a grin, and left to find something clean to wear. The two women snickered.

* * *

The place where Pepper took Natasha and Steve was definitely not somewhere they would have walked in voluntarily. Steve looked at the price on one of the mannequins' suits.

"Yeah, I can't buy anything here. I'd have to sell a kidney to get a suit here," Steve said.

"And you don't have to worry about anything. Tony's already got you covered," Pepper said, as another man approached. "Phil, could you be a dear and get Steve measured?"

Phil looked at the blonde, and smiled. "Of course, it would be a pleasure."

Steve was measured and placed in a few different designs. Natasha gushed, while Pepper was busy snapping pictures on her phone. She made sure not to show Steve's face; after all, one little mistake was all it took for her master plan to fall apart.

The suit they ended up getting was simple and sleek. The only concession Pepper made was to buy a blue tie that Natasha liked. They left as Phil promised to have the suit ready by the time they got back from feeding Steve.

Indeed, Steve had a freshly pressed suit handed to him after he had eaten a few dozen pancakes. The suit was simple. Black, with a white shirt and a royal blue tie. It fit him like a glove when he tried it on back in Clint and Natasha's apartment, and Clint whistled at Steve when he came out of the bathroom.

"Good luck keeping his hands off of you."

Steve blushed. "I can't look that good."

"Steve, if you were food, you would be a hot sizzling steak, ready to be eaten." Clint said simply. Natasha nodded, looking at the suit with an approving eye. Clint licked his lips and made to grab Steve.

"I'm gonna eat you!"

"Like hell you will!"

* * *

"Pepper, did he get the suit?" Tony asked. They were in another meeting, presumably for an overview of the expenses for the party, but it had turned into a feud between a couple of the larger sponsors wanting more media coverage and what not. Tony sighed as a couple of the planners sought to remedy the problem, but Pepper just sat next to him, already done with the whole fiasco.

"Yeah and I have pictures!" She pulled out her phone, and Tony looked through her pictures. He was surprised to see no pictures of Steve's face on there.

"Pepper, do you need glasses? You only got his body," Tony muttered as he looked at all the pictures.

"Steve's a little shy. He said he wanted to see you in person to get to know you better," Pepper said. Tony nodded; he wanted to see the man as well.

"Just tell me, does he have some facial defect or something?"

Pepper smiled. "Nope. He's flawless, you'll like him."

"I should text him. Tell him to let me see his face. Who knows, maybe I'll give him a reward for being such a trooper," Tony said with a wink. Pepper frowned, and pinched the man.

"Don't be perverted. You won't have time to be doing that anyway," The arguments around them started to escalate. "Excuse me while I go murder some people."

Pepper walked up to the podium, silencing the room. As she spoke, Tony smiled. You definitely did not want an angry Pepper.

* * *

Please review!


	4. Chapter 4

Once again, I'm glad to see such a positive response to this story! I thank everyone who's reviewed, favorite, and followed this story! My friend and I are glad you like it!

It's a pretty long chapter. There's little surprise for everyone at the end. There's some swear words, I think. Other than that, I can't think of anything else. Oh, and excuse any mistakes I make.

Enjoy!

_Italics: Steve's texts/ character thoughts_

* * *

**Chapter 4**

"Little arrow, big arrow…" Steve muttered, dozing off at work. He had taken refuge behind the receptionists' desk, trying to ignore the fact that his boss and his father were having a huge fight inside their office. The sounds coming out of the closed room made shivers go down his spine.

"The Starks are at it again eh?" One of the receptionists said, typing away at her computer.

"Yeah," Steve grumbled.

"Did the older Stark find out about your boss' pro bono cases?"

"I think so." Steve had to admit, his boss was an asshole, but he definitely had his heart in the right place. Mr. Stark had taken on cases from people who desperately needed help, but he had kept it secret from his father and other partners. Somehow, the newspapers had gotten wind, and there were papers all over town talking about the city's biggest playboy trying to lift his image. "Stark tries to fix his bad boy ways!" graced the covers of some gossip magazines. In Steve's mind, it wasn't such a big deal.

There were less people at work that day; New Year's Eve was a highly sought out holiday for many Stark firm employees. Steve was unfortunate to be required to be at work, seeing as Mr. Stark needed to work every single day.

"It's almost time for me to go back in there," Steve grumbled. He played with some of the paper clips lying about. Tony had been suspiciously quiet all day; not one text had come for Steve. Instead, Steve had to scurry around the office as his boss worked on all his cases on the same day, trying to close some deals before Howard Stark put his foot down.

"You'll be fine," The receptionist said kindly, and promptly answered the phone just as soon as it began to ring. Steve was always surprised when they did that; it was like they had sensed the call before it rang. "Steve, Mr. Stark wants to see you in his office. He says to bring two cups of coffee."

"Roger that," Steve said dully, rolling his chair towards the coffee machine. Two minutes later he held steaming mugs of coffee in his hands as he walked towards his doom.

The silence in the office was eerie as Steve walked in. Mr. Stark was glaring at his father, Howard Stark, from his desk, clearly ready to skin the man alive.

"Thank you, you may go now…" Mr. Stark said, but his father hushed him.

"What is your name boy?" Howard said. Steve was wary as he responded, careful not to let his concern be noticed.

"Steven Rogers sir."

"Steven, do you believe my son, your boss, is a great man?" The older man asked.

"I do," Steve said politely.

"Trust me, Steven, if you knew Anthony Stark the way I know him–" Howard began, but his son cut him off.

"Mr. Rogers, it would be best if you leave now," he said coldly. Howard lifted his hand, signaling Steve to stay.

"He may be a good boss, but he's a terrible son. Do try to make your family proud by not becoming like him," Howard said, looking straight at his son.

"I hate you," Mr. Stark said.

"If I may be so bold to say," Steve interrupted, "But I think Mr. Stark is a fantastic man. I've seen people, good people, walk into this office with little to nothing in their pockets, and Mr. Stark always takes care of them. I'm lucky to be working for him; in fact, I'm honored to be working for him."

The room became quiet. Steve felt his face light up, and he kept his gaze down, wishing the ground would swallow him up. He never wanted to say those words! But seeing his boss, his asshole of a boss, being insulted by his own father really lit a spark in Steve's body.

"Mr. Rogers, you may leave now. I have no further need of your assistance today," Mr. Stark said. "You may go spend time with your family."

Steve was stunned. "Of course sir. Thank you very much."

He walked towards his desk, still trying to wrap his mind around what had occurred in the office. After wishing the receptionists a happy new year, Steve left, walking numbly to his apartment. He made it to his lumpy couch, sitting haphazardly.

Suddenly, his phone rang. Thinking it was Clint again, Steve picked up, not noticing the caller id.

"Clint, if you're coming to feed me, bring me some chocolate. I definitely fucked up at work today."

"Well, I don't think I can right now, seeing as I'm at work." A deep voice said, startling Steve.

"Who the fuck is this?" Steve said, panic setting in.

"Relax Steve, it's Tony." Steve held his phone out. Sure enough, the caller id proved it was indeed Tony. He put the phone back to his ear. "Who's Clint?"

"My best friend. He keeps me from eating deep fried corn dogs all day from the food cart down the block. Actually, that sounds really good right now," Steve said, lying back on the couch.

Tony laughed. "Yeah, there's this place near my office where they sell the best corn dogs this side of the Pacific."

"Oh yeah? I'd like to try some Maybe a few dozen would sate me," Steve said.

"Honestly…" Tony said. Steve laughed a little. It was good to hear from Tony.

"So why are you calling?" Steve asked.

"Just checking that you haven't gotten cold feet."

"And what if I had?" Steve teased.

"I would bribe you with a mountain of chocolate."

"I'd marry you for a mountain of chocolate," Steve said jokingly.

"You'd sell yourself out for just one mountain of chocolate? Believe me, tonight you'll be asking for more than chocolate to ever be near me again."

"You're not that bad. Snarky yes, but bearable," Steve said.

"My assistant seems to agree with you on that. He definitely isn't such a bad guy," Tony said.

"See? You could totally fix things with him. Now me? I just embarrassed myself in front of my boss. I might be in the need of a new job soon," Steve said glumly.

"Well, I could hire you. How are your cleaning skills?" Steve made a face.

"Very funny," Steve said.

"Ha, well I believe my work phone is ringing now, so I'm going to have to cut this call short."

"Darn, what am I going to do now?" Steve said with a small smile on his face.

"Bask in my glory. Now, I'll be there to pick you up around 5. Be ready or else," Tony said, and Steve just laughed as he hung up.

"Wait, I didn't give him my address!" Steve said.

Tony stared at his phone for a bit. He didn't know where Steve lived. Now he was going to have to grovel to the man to get the address!

He picked up his waiting call, answering with his stern voice. The whole time he felt his heartbeat speed up. He tried to focus on his work, but all he could think about was meeting Steve.

Maybe Tony could convince the man to kiss him at midnight?

_No_, Tony thought as he shook his head. Steve would definitely run from him, and Tony wanted to keep his friendship with the man. Still… images of Steve's body began to surface in his mind.

His cellphone vibrated, and Tony grabbed it with one hand.

_12 Lincoln Ave. Just thought you'd like to know._

It was Steve's address. Tony smiled as he talked with his client, writing the address on his notepad. Luckily it was close; all he had to do was change quickly after work and go pick him up.

* * *

Steve had wandered into his kitchen, where he bypassed the taped up stove and microwave to the fridge. There was nothing inside, but Steve knew Clint had his lunch break now. He called the man, who picked up after the third ring.

"If this is about food, forget about it. Tasha's got me on a diet for the party tonight. No grease or carbs she said."

"C'mon Clint, I'm hungry and the convenience store is just across from my apartment. I think I'm craving microwave popcorn~"

"Hell no! I'll be there in ten minutes!" Clint barked into the phone, and the call ended. Steve whistled, waiting for him to appear.

Clint came over with two large bags of groceries, and before Steve could say hello, he sped towards the kitchen, muttering furiously under his breath. In fifteen minutes, Cline had made some macaroni and cheese, and Steve had put away the juices and meats Clint had brought over.

"You should be able to make sandwiches right? I taught you how to use a knife and shit. Just don't, under any circumstances, turn on the stove," Clint said, setting two steaming bowls of macaroni in front of them.

"You couldn't have brought steak?" Steve said.

"I have to go back to work in thirty minutes," Clint said, blowing on his meal. "Shouldn't you be at work too?"

"I made a fool of myself in front of my boss so he gave me the day off. I expect him to call any minute now to fire me," Steve said, sitting down.

"What did you do this time?" Clint said.

"I may have told his father off in front of him,' Steve said, noting the bewildered look in Clint's face. "You should have been there Clint; the man was treating him like dirt. I couldn't just ignore that."

"Steve, I think you need to realize that even if you want to help, your boss might not want you to. To him, you're just an employee. Meddling in his family affairs may not be such a good idea,' Clint said.

"Clint, he's my boss. He might be an asshole, but no one deserves to be treated like that," Steve said, pushing his pasta around with his fork. "I can't just stop worrying."

"Steve, don't. You'll just do something you might regret later on," Clint said.

"You're right. But if it happens again while I'm in the room, I'll be sure to tell old Howard Stark off."

Clint grinned. "You do that. I'd love to see that in my morning newspaper."

"Urgh, what time is it?" Steve said, shoveling some macaroni into his mouth.

"Quarter to three, why?"

"I need to be ready by five. Tony's coming to pick me up,' Steve aid, his mouth full of food.

"First of all, chew," Clint said. "Second, I thought we were all going together?"

"Well, I'm his date. I guess it makes sense that I show up with him. We can meet up at the party right?"

"Okay then. Tasha was ready to have a photo shoot with you looking like James Bond, but I guess I'll be the bearer of bad news," Clint said, standing up. "I have to head out now, but definitely snap a couple of pictures of your fantabulous date."

"Ha, I'll make sure I do. Oh, remember to keep Tasha away from the liquor tonight. I don't think the world is ready to feel her wrath."

Clint laughed. "She may be an awful drunk, but a drunken Tasha is a wild card in bed."

"I'm gonna go bleach my brain now, thanks Clint."

* * *

Tony closed his last case for the night. He had a few hours before the party, but he still needed to get changed and be presentable for the party, not to mention he had to pick up Steve and head out to the venue. Luckily, he had brought his suit to work, hanging it on his chair.

He checked his hair again, fixing few hairs here and there. The suit was easy to put on, and Tony had time to spare after he finished changing. He grabbed his phone, texting Steve to wait outside and headed out. He made sure the car was ready for them.

Shivering at the cold that had settled in as the sun began to set, Tony walked the short distance to Steve's' apartment. The car was stationed right in front of the office, so there would be some time for the pair to talk while they walked towards the car. Tony hoped they could grab some corn dogs from the place across the street, just to prove Steve wrong.

He saw a blonde figure standing outside a grey building. Tony recognized the suit from one of Pepper's pictures, so he put on his trademark smirk and headed to startle his date.

"Pardon me stranger, but I'm looking for man named Steve," Tony said. Steve stiffened, and turned around. They looked at each other, both uttering the same thing.

**"Oh shit."**

"Anthony Stark," Steve said, bewildered. He brought a hand to his face. "Tony Stark, _oh shit_."

"Steven Rogers… _Steve Rogers. __**Steve**_," Tony said. "How did I not see this one coming?"

"We talked on the phone..." Steve said. He leaned on the wall behind him, trying to piece everything together.

"You sounded different on the phone," Tony said, shock written on his face,

The pair stared at each other, reality sinking in.

"So…" Steve broke the silence, looking at his hands. "I think I'm going to change now."

"Why?" Tony asked.

"I want to crawl into a hole and disappear now, and I can't do that in an expensive suit."

"Well, we still have go to the party idiot," Tony said. He immediately saying that as Steve glared at him.

"Mr. Stark…" Steve began saying.

"Tony, call me Tony."

"No Mr. Stark. I need to go," Steve made to go into his building, but Tony held him back.

"Steve, I need you. I can't do this alone."

"You didn't even know my name until today," Steve gave a small laugh, feeling his voice waver.

"I didn't know it was going to be you. Steve, you have to believe me," Tony said.

"I bet you thought I was some stupid assistant you could screw around with..." Steve said through gritted teeth.

Tony held Steve's arm as he tried to escape from his grip. "Steve, I want you to know that all I wanted to do was to get to know you. I want to be your friend. Besides, you're my employee; I would never do anything to jeopardize your job."

"Can you promise me that?" Steve looked at Tony.

"I promise. Besides, I think I owe you a lot, Mr. Rogers," Tony said with a small smile.

Steve sighed, and smiled as well. "Okay then Tony. Just remember, we work together. No funny business."

"As if. _You_ try to keep your hands off me Steve," Tony laughed as Steve punched him on the shoulder. "C'mon the car's waiting."

* * *

Steve tried not to put his hands across his face as Tony walked him across the black carpet placed right in front of the entrance to the party. Since Tony was an important guest, they had to enter through that street, and the paparazzi were ready to take snapshots of all the big shots that showed up. Steve was worried they would stick out, but there were other same-sex couples, so he let out a breath. Tony had on his thousand watt smile, steering Steve through the jumbled mass of reporters trying to get close to the guests.

"Mr. Stark, a word please!"

"Who's the blond with you Mr. Stark?"

"How's your father's firm doing Mr. Stark?"

Tony ignored them all, forcing a pathway through to the open doors. One look from the security stationed in front of the doors and they were inside, where a waiter handed them two glasses of wine and escorted them to their table.

"How is this even real?" Steve said. The venue was enormous, and even the linen looked expensive. People were chattering away as everyone was being escorted to their chairs. Their waiter placed them directly in front of the stage, offering to bring them some more wine after they finished their glass.

"Pepper's a wizard when it comes to parties. She's a smart girl though, she could be working for some high ranking company, but I'm convinced she only does party planning to piss her father off," Tony said as they sat down. Indeed, the place was very well put together, and Steve was sure Pepper had organized it all herself when he saw the woman whiz past, ordering the workers around.

"We're pretty close to the stage aren't we?" Steve said, noting the calm of the area. Soft music played in the background, a DJ making sure to keep the tunes lively, and everyone was either occupied or dancing to the music.

"I'm a guest of honor; I get to countdown the end of the year," Tony said glumly. "It was Pepper's idea to keep me from running off tonight before the party ended."

They managed to get dinner served to them quickly. Steve managed to eat his filet mignon and steamed vegetables before Tony even took his first bite. Steve looked embarrassed when he saw that he was the only one who had finished eating, but Tony set him at ease.

"You definitely enjoyed that. Don't pay attention to the people around you."

Tony finished his meal with ease, trying to let Steve relax. People around them whispered, watching the pair as they talked. Steve was a commodity; no one had ever seen Tony Stark so well behaved with someone in a long time. Ignoring the gossip mill, Tony offered to help Steve find his friends, and they headed off.

Various artists came up to play their songs, and the open floor became filled with people. Steve spotted Natasha near a gleaming window with Clint smiling at her.

"Hey you guys!" Steve said.

"Steve!" Clint pulled him in for a hug. "We were worried when we couldn't find you! Tasha said you might have run off after you found out you were coming here with your boss." Natasha punched him. "Ow!"

"Don't listen to him Steve. Did things work out?" She said, looking at Tony.

"We have an agreement," Tony said to the woman in front of him. "Tony Stark, at your service."

"Pleased to meet you Mr. Stark. I was just talking to Pepper about you," Natasha said.

"You know Pepper?" Tony asked.

"We met a while back. She actually asked me to help you find a date," She said with a smile. Steve looked at Tony, not sure what to say.

"Well, you ladies did a wonderful job. Steve's a doll. I couldn't have asked for a better date, or worker," Tony said.

As Natasha talked with Tony, Steve felt something being pushed into his pocket, and he turned his head to see Clint leering at him, pressing a small package into his suit pocket. "Thought you might need this."

"If it's a condom, I'm sneaking into your apartment tomorrow and setting your sheets on fire," Steve whispered.

"Better safe than sorry~"

"I think it's about time for us to head back Steve. Heaven knows what Pepper's got under her sleeve if I don't do my duty," Tony said, holding out his hand. Steve wished his friends a happy new year before heading towards their table, but they got stuck in the mess of people trying to dance.

The pair looked at each other, not sure what to do, until Tony started moving to the music. "Care to dance?"

Steve smiled. "Sure."

They did their best to avoid some of the wilder dancers, but they did enjoy themselves. Tony gave Steve a twirl when he wasn't paying attention, almost causing Steve to fall. He grabbed the blonde in the nick of time, grabbing his arm and pulling him close.

"Thanks," Steve said over the music.

"Wouldn't want you to bruise that pretty face," Tony said with a wink. Steve tried to look angry, but he was grateful Tony had caught him.

The music stopped, and the two men realized they were pretty close. They moved away slowly, getting into more comfortable positions. Suddenly, Pepper spoke to the guests.

"Ladies and gentlemen please grab your champagne glasses as we toast to the New Year," she said, and people began heading to their seats, where the waiters had replaced their plates for a bowl of fruit and tall flute glasses of champagne.

"Come on Steve, we're gonna take these up to the stage," Tony said.

"What?" Steve asked, bewildered.

"I have to be up there to count down, and I want you to be there with me."

Steve blushed, but decided to follow Tony despite his nervousness. Pepper introduced them both, and ushered them to the open microphone.

"Okay Tony, one minute left," She said.

"Hello everyone, I am Tony Stark, a partner at the Stark Law Firm. On behalf of my father's business, I'd like to wish everyone a happy new year." Cheers erupted from the crowd. Some of the more conservative guests merely clapped their hands. "Now let's get down to business. Onto the New Year! Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three… two… one!"

"Happy New Year!" Everyone shouted at the top of their lungs, and the DJ began playing a light fanfare as fireworks erupted outside the building. People began hugging one another, and some couples kissed as they toasted the new year.

Steve grinned when he saw Clint and Natasha in the crowd, waving at him. He looked to Tony, who had drank his champagne, and smiled.

"Happy New Year Tony," he said to the man.

Tony smiled, and leaned over to press his lips to Steve's. The blonde stopped thinking, and the grip on his champagne glass slipped. Tony let his lips linger for a bit before moving away.

"Happy New Year Steve."

* * *

Ten pages, and I still had to look this over at least four times. I ask that you all be patient for a bit; I'll be a bit busy after tomorrow trying to get my life settled. There are a lot of changes happening for my family and me right now, but I'm definitely hoping to update by the end of the week.

Happy New Year everyone!


	5. Chapter 5

Managed to find time after all! Actually, I'm hiding from my parents; something about moving out just doesn't appeal to me. Again, I can't stress how awesome you all are! Honestly, I'm really glad you like it. Thank you everybody who has read, reviewed, favorited, and followed this story!

Update: I want to start replying to reviews, so at the end of the chapter, I will have a small section to answer any reviews from the previous chapter.

Nothing too bad in this chapter, just some brooding. It's a pretty simple and short chapter, but I thought it was necessary to address Steve and Tony's issues. I don't consider myself an expert on defining relationships, so if you see me making any mistakes, please point them out. Please Don't Go by Barcelona helped me get into the mood, so if you want you can listen while you read. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 5**

The car ride back was silent. Tony drove slowly, opening his mouth a few times along the way to speak, but no words came out. Steve looked out of the window, unable to look at Tony. His lips tingled, but he made no move to touch them. Any movement could spark…

_Spark what? A conversation? An explanation?_ Steve didn't even know what he was thinking. All he wanted was to be away from Tony, but he couldn't help but want answers from the man. The streets became familiar to Steve as they approached his apartment building, and Tony parked the car in front of the grey building. Steve made no move to get out.

Tony placed his hand on Steve's shoulder, startling the blonde. "We're here," he said softly.

"Thanks," Steve said, fumbling with the car door. He opened it, and stepped out, shivering slightly as the chill in the air seeped into his warm clothes. The car had been significantly warmer, and Steve couldn't help but look at it, wishing he was in the warmth again. Tony looked at him, his eyes roaming over Steve face, until he waved goodbye. Steve waved back, and the car sped off, leaving Steve standing there.

He watched the car go, unable to move. His legs felt heavy all of a sudden, and Steve closed his eyes. Tony's face rushed into his mind, and the feeling on his lips increased. Steve shook his head to try and clear his thoughts, and headed towards his apartment, punching in his code to enter the building. The walk back was eerily silent; most of the tenants in Steve's building worked all day, and were hardly ever awake at night, even on the dawn of a new year.

For a while, Steve felt like he was completely alone, trapped in the walls of his mind. The doors and corridors blended together as he walked without a purpose, finding the correct stairwell to his apartment by memory.

In no time, or maybe a long time, Steve made it inside his tiny apartment, loosening the blue tie around his neck. He held the richly colored fabric in his hands, and remembered Tony was wearing the same tie he was, except his was a deep crimson.

The thought made Steve drop the tie on the floor. Steve tried to ignore the clenching in his chest, not wanting to find out the reason why the thought of him and Tony wearing matching ties made his heart flutter. Or why Tony's lips felt softer than they looked.

"Go to sleep Steve, you're tired and it's going to be a long day today," he whispered to himself, and headed to his bedroom to get ready for bed.

Little did he know, in a condo closer to the city, a certain dark haired man was running his fingers over his mouth, trying hard not to remember the feeling of smooth lips and blonde hair on his forehead.

* * *

The Stark Firm prided itself of delivering quality legal assistance to all at all times. Which is why the firm opened its doors without fault on the first day of the new year. Tony Stark found himself in one of the conference rooms in the firm building, trying to negotiate with his client's wife over their speedy divorce they had filed over the holidays.

Honestly, he tried, but when clients purposely tried to ruin his day by stressing him out… well, needless to say, Tony had single-handedly destroyed his client's confidence by handing over the deed to his expensive townhouse. Tony did manage to save him more than sixty percent of the money in his account, so he did do something right.

From there, his day became a blur of conference calls and various consults in his office – all a cleverly disguised attempt to avoid meeting a certain blonde working in his office.

"Mr. Stark, there's a client on the phone for you," one of the receptionists said over the small speaker on his work phone.

"Okay, put them through," Tony said. He spent some time handling the call, ending the call as promises of an appointment were made. He leaned into his chair, pleased to have made some progress with his workload, until his doors opened. Steve walked in with coffee, looking solemn and placing the mug on the desk, giving Tony a curt nod and walking towards the door. Tony couldn't help himself.

"Steve."

The blond stopped, his hand on the door handle.

"Steve, I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry about Mr. Stark," Steve said stiffly. He kept looking forward, not looking at Tony.

"I… I just want to…"

Steve sighed. "What do you want to do now Tony? You ignore me all day and the only thing out of your mouth is 'I'm sorry'?"

"I promised you nothing would happen. I told you I wanted to be your friend and your boss, but I can't," Tony said. "I can't even look at you without thinking about that kiss."

"I can't either," Steve sighed, turning to face Tony. "But I don't know what I want from you."

"Neither do I." The par looked at each other, not sure what their next move should be.

Tony spoke first. "I think it's too early to ask you for anything serious. I don't have much experience with this, and I still want to get to know you."

"Same here," Steve agreed.

"The one thing I want to stress is that I've slept around. I'm not going to deny it, and if you feel even a tiny bit of attraction towards me, you need to know that I haven't been in a relationship with someone since I was in high school."

"Okay," Steve nodded to let Tony know he understood. Truth be told, he didn't like it, but at least Tony was being honest.

"Let's assume we both decide we want to get to know each other better. Now, I think it's called casual dating, but if you're not comfortable with that… we can just go back to being friends or something. Either way, I want to get to know you Steve," Tony said.

Steve thought for a moment. "I'll agree to try it, I guess. I just want you to promise, _and mean it_, that you won't let this affect our work."

Tony smiled. "Of course." His smile widened as Steve's eyes narrowed in suspicion. Tony made an X with his finger over his heart. "Cross my heart or hope to die."

Steve didn't look convinced, but he nodded. Smiling, Tony stood ad walked to Steve, grabbing his hand and placing a kiss on the back of it. "Pleasure doing business with you Mr. Rogers."

Steve chuckled, and pulled his hand away. "I think I should head back to my desk now."

"Wait." The blonde had only moments to think; Tony's face was getting closer to his. He turned his head a bit, and felt warm lips crash onto his cheek. Steve felt his face grow hot and moved back towards the door. He gave Tony an uncertain half smile, and all but ran out the door.

"Interesting," Tony said, licking his lips.

* * *

Okay, I don't know how to explain this. The bit at the end sort of wrote itself…

Well, things will be moving slowly with them _for now_. Definitely expect a date next chapter. I've been thinking that it's time to offer something to you guys, 'cause you're all awesome and this is my way of saying thanks. If you are the **first** to review the story, you may pick the location of their first date, and get a sneak peek of any shenanigans I may have Steve and Tony doing on said date. I only ask that if you do choose, don't go for an extravagant location; Steve has the tendency to be written with a simple personality, and would probably not let Tony take him somewhere fancy on the first date. Please review!

**Review Section:**

**Zeldachic459:** I'm glad you love the story! I hope you enjoyed this chapter too :)

**Compulsive Bowler:** Thank you so much for loving the story! I hope I did not disappoint :)

**HonestyHands:** Thank you for liking the chapter! Yeah, I'm dying to get them together, but I also want them to develop their relationship a little more :)

**Mimi Striker:** Thank you for the love! Hope you liked this chapter! :)

**jack2724:** I'm glad you like the story :)

If I missed someone, I'm sorry! Do remind me to send apology hugs!


	6. Chapter 6

McDonald Dollar Menu commercials on my radio did not help while I was writing. Also, watching Tangled is a good way to lose track of time. Luckily, I made this extra-long to make up for the shortness of last chapter. Thank you, jack2724, for your awesome ideas! This chapter is dedicated to you!

No warnings. I do like to hear from you guys though. Tell me something, anything about your feelings for the story. Just one word, or a few, will do it for me :)

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 6**

"So what are you two exactly?" Natasha asked Steve. He had told his friends about what had happened between Tony and him, and Natasha had come over to Steve's apartment quickly, grinning from ear to ear.

They sat at the kitchen table, where Steve was about to turn on the oven to heat up the room. Natasha had the sense to stop him and call Steve's landlord to fix the heating, and now the apartment was several degrees warmer. Steve still felt a little cold, but in the heat of the kitchen he barely noticed.

"I'm not sure exactly. We sort of have no idea how to go about this, but we're gonna try to go on a few casual dates to test the waters," Steve replied, tapping his fingers on the table. "Truthfully I don't know how I feel about the whole situation."

"I think you guys are doing the right thing. If you don't feel comfortable, you can just pull away and go back to the way things were."

"You're right. I just need to get over the nervousness I guess. You know Tasha, I haven't been able to talk to him properly since we had our discussion in the office," Steve said. Natasha's lips twitched, and she patted his shoulder.

"Steve, you're adorable. Give me your phone," Steve pointed to the phone resting on the kitchen counter, the screen blinking every so often. "Has he tried to talk to you?"

"He's texted me a few times, but I can't ever think of a reply good enough to send." Natasha swiped her finger over the screen, noting the various texts Tony had sent.

_**I have a hankering for corn dogs right now.**_

_**Steve, did you leave? I just walked past your desk.**_

_**I'm at the cart right now. I imagine you like all these different types of food right? Ha, I bet your favorite is that overstuffed steak burrito.**_

_**Steve, I ordered two corn dogs. Wanna eat?**_

_**Had to eat these heart attacks on sticks by myself. Hope I'm not bothering you.**_

"Steve, what the hell? That was a date you clearly missed!" Natasha said, glaring at Steve. He looked at his fingers, trying not to focus on the intensity of Natasha's eyes or the fact that she was standing right in front of the knife drawer (which was full of unused, very sharp kitchen knives).

"I just wanted space right now alight? Tasha, I don't know how to handle this!" Steve keened, dropping his head to hit the table. "I'm a despicable human being!"

"Stop moping. You look pathetic, and you're hurting Tony's feelings," Natasha said, bringing the phone to the table. "Call him or something."

Steve's hand closed over the phone slowly. "Tasha…"

"Nope, I'm not leaving until I hear you start some sort of communication with the man."

Sighing, Steve typed Tony's number into his keypad and pressed the call button, trying to breathe as the phone rang.

"Hello?" Tony's deep voice said into the phone.

"Hey Tony," Steve said lamely. Natasha rolled her eyes.

"Steve, what a surprise. I thought you were busy."

"Um, well, I was, but now I'm not," Steve said quickly. "Are you busy?"

"Not really, I'm sitting in my condo, sipping my two hundred dollar wine." Steve imagined Tony smiling as he said that.

"Does it taste like hundred dollar bills? Because that's an outrageous price for a bottle of alcohol."

"It's the quality I'm after," Tony said. "Not all wines taste the same."

"Well, forgive me. I'm so uncultured that I imagined all wine tasted like expired grapes."

Tony sighed. "I'll have to show you the world then, you uncivilized brute."

Steve almost began ranting into the phone when his stomach growled loudly. He tried to cover the sound with his arms, but he made it worse by putting the phone right next to his stomach, letting Tony hear the anguished sounds.

Natasha covered her mouth as she tried not to burst out laughing. Steve mouthed, _"Be quiet!"_ to her as he brought the phone back to his ear.

"Well, sounds like there's a monster over there," Tony said teasingly.

"I'm hungry, Steve protested. "I'm going to have to eat a sandwich on stale bread."

"Poor child. See, if you had just replied to my messages, you would be eating corn dogs right now."

"Shut up," Steve said.

"Any ways, I was wondering if you waned to go out tomorrow to eat. I know how you like food," Tony said.

"I don't _just_ like food," Steve huffed out. Natasha looked at him skeptically, and Steve stuck his tongue out at her. "But sure, just nowhere too fancy," Steve said. Natasha flashed him a thumbs up, and he nodded. She immediately pulled out her phone and started typing away.

"Then we'll head out after work tomorrow. Wear the blue tie from the party to work tomorrow."

"Why?" Steve asked.

"I like the way it looks on you."

"Tony Stark, have you said that to your would-be lovers before?" Steve said. Tony chuckled into the phone.

"Believe me Steve, if I had treated my many one night stands the way I'm treating you, I'd be more of a Don Juan than a renegade playboy in the media."

* * *

The next day Pepper called Tony.

"Is this Tony Stark, famous playboy?" She said jokingly.

"Well hello Pepper. I was beginning to think you'd gone on a murderous rampage and fled the country to inflict more havoc," Tony replied, organizing all his work for the day. There were significantly less cases that day; he made sure would stop his oncoming date.

"Oh I did. I'm back, now a much sought out party planner, thanks to the scene you made at the New Year's party. People are hiring me to decorate and bring you along as entertainment."

"How raunchy. Tell them I don't do exhibitionism," Tony said.

"Believe me; I put them in their place. By the way, your dad called me to see how you behaved at the party."

"What did you say?" Tony asked.

"Nothing much, just that you managed to represent yourself and his business in a very _emotional_ way," Pepper emphasized. "I told him you put a spark in everyone that night."

"Oh Pepper, you gossip monger."

"I also received a tip off that you're taking lovely Steve out on a date?" She asked.

"You heard right, although I worry sometimes about how you get your information," Tony said.

"Ninja skills are listed on my resume. So where are you taking him?"

"Not anywhere fancy, just to a little restaurant I found nearby. It's all you can eat, so it should make him happy," Tony described to her.

"Aw, little Tony going on his first man date!" Pepper cooed over the phone. "Remember when we went out? You were so nervous, but I think you calmed down after I shoved a noodle into your nose at that fancy Italian restaurant."

"That was a long time ago. My father never forgets to remind me though."

"Still, I'm glad you waited with Steve. Natasha gave me a high recommendation, and he seems different from all the other men you've slept with," She said.

"Yeah, I'm glad it's with him too," Tony said.

Steve stood outside the door, hearing a bit of Tony's conversation. He blushed, pride blooming in his chest. He was Tony's first male date, and he hoped, if things went well, that he would be the last.

He knocked slowly, letting Tony compose himself before walking in. Tony sat a little stiffly with a guilty look on his face. Steve smiled, and placed Tony's coffee on the desk.

"G'morning," Tony said quickly.

"Morning. The receptionists wanted you to know how happy they are now that their paychecks just arrived. They're busy gossiping about spending their hard earned money."

Tony laughed. "They deserve it. All of my clients are easier to handle now that I have them."

Steve couldn't help but notice the way Tony's eyes crinkled when he let out a laugh. When he tilted his head back, Steve could trace the sinew of Tony's neck. He watched his Adam's apple move ever so often. He was mesmerized, at least until Tony stopped, and gave him a grin.

"Like what you see?" Steve blushed.

"N-No, just looking at your facial hair. You're really looking older with that beard thing you've got going," Steve said, looking at the floor.

"All the better to entice you my dear. In fact, that tie of yours has really got me going," Tony said in a lower tone, eyes glancing over Steve's chest. The blue tie Tony had requested was lying right in the center, shimmering under the fluorescent light. Steve's blush darkened, letting his arms cross his chest.

"Shut up."

"Are you ready for tonight? I picked a special place to go eat at," Tony said.

"Sure, you give me food and I'll follow," Steve said. "No frozen yogurt though."

"I wouldn't dare."

"I have to get back to work, I'll see you later," Steve said walking out. Tony waved as he left, taking a good look at Steve's rear. It was definitely going to be hard to keep himself from jumping Steve.

* * *

"Aww, they're so cute!"

"Shut up, they might hear us!"

"Ten bucks says they go all the way tonight!"

"Charlotte!" The receptionists whispered. They were huddled over one of their desks, hearing Tony's and Steve's conversation. Somehow, Tony had pressed the wrong button on his work phone after pepper's call and left the intercom on for all the ladies in the next room to hear.

"_**I have to get back to work, I'll see you later."**_

They scrambled back to their desks, pulling off looking normal as Steve walked past, heading to his desk. He noticed the women working diligently.

"You all seem busy all of a sudden."

"Can't say that we are," one of them said.

* * *

Before they knew it, the firm was closed. Tony walked towards Steve's desk, where the blonde was busy organizing his desk for the next day.

"Are you ready?" Tony asked.

"Yes, let's go," Steve said, grabbing his coat. There was a light wind outside, and the two men hurried towards Tony's car. They got in, and headed towards their destination.

"So is the food good?" Steve asked nervously.

"Yeah, it's all you can eat, so you can have your fill," Tony said, driving quickly.

"Okay." The car became silent, at least until they arrived. Steve let out a gasp as he read the sign outside the small restaurant.

**Cook your own food! Korean BBQ!**

"This isn't one of those places where you actually cook your entire meal right?" Steve asked nervously.

"It's kind of the whole point of the restaurant. This way you get to cook and eat to your heart's content." Tony parked the car and both men headed out of the car and into the restaurant. Steve typed out an SOS text to Clint before heading inside. The restaurant was cozy, with paper lanterns lighting the room with a yellow glow. The scent of cooking meat made Steve's mouth water, and he followed without question when they were escorted to their booth.

The table was thick, with a large grill in the middle with knobs at one end to raise or lower the fire under the grill. Rubber mats covered the wood surrounding the grill, a pair of tongs on each side. Their waiter just let the grill heat up a bit before rushing off to get the ingredients.

"This place is nice," Steve said, looking at all the beautiful flower prints around them.

"Yeah. I got us the marinated beef if that's all right with you."

Steve gulped. "Yeah, totally."

The waiter brought them two large bowls of raw meat swimming in red sauce, and one even larger bowl full of raw vegetables. The waiter left, and Tony handed one of the bowls of meat to Steve.

"The grill's ready. Do you want to go first?" Tony asked.

"N-No. How about you go first, and then I'll get the hang of it," Steve said. Tony shrugged, and used his tongs to scoop out a piece of meat and place it on the grill. Steve watched with fascination as the meat cooked slowly, Tony flipping it after a few minutes. "Okay, I'll try next."

"That's fine. I'm just going to put some of the greens on the grill too," Tony said. Steve grabbed his pair of tongs and carefully chose a small piece of meat to place on the grill. The sauce dripped off from the meat and hit the grill, causing some of it to pepper Steve's coat in hot drops. Tony laughed when Steve groaned. "It takes some practice."

"I bet," Steve said, and place the meat on the grill. Grinning when the meat began to sizzle. "Look! It's cooking!"

"Yeah it is. Put some more on," Tony suggested, and Steve started doling out more pieces of meat onto the grill. Tony's phone began to ring, and after checking the id, rose from his seat. "I have to answer this Steve. You keep cooking, just wait for the meat and the greens to turn brown and take them off the grill."

"Roger that," Steve said, and Tony left. He kept watch over the grill, but for some reason, the food just wasn't cooking fast enough. Glancing at the knobs controlling the flame, Steve decided to tweak the heat to let the meat cook faster. He turned the knobs all the way up, and was pleasantly surprised to see the meat was turning brown. He flipped a few pieces over, and his phone began to ring.

Steve picked up the phone, and Clint's voice rang in his ear. "What's the emergency?!"

"Calm down Clint. I'm just at a barbecue restaurant with Tony, and guess what? I'm cooking!"

"Steve, did you tell Tony that you can't be near any kind of stove?" Clint said seriously.

"No, besides, I'm doing fine. The meat is cooking and… shit! The vegetables are burning!" There were charred remains of some of the greens on the grill, but the rest were catching fire and Steve tried to get rid of each piece with his tong. He leaned a little closer, pulling off the grill most of the burned vegetables, but the burning sensation coming from under him made him gasp. The meat was sizzling up and down, right onto Steve's coat. The heat made Steve grit his teeth, and he sat back down, using his tongs to keep the meat away from him.

He groaned. Tony's meat was burnt black, and slowly disintegrating. Steve tried to adjust the flame back down, but he turned it the wrong way too fast, and the knob fell off.

"Steve! Turn the stove off!" Clint shouted into his ear.

"I can't! The knob on the grill fell off!" Steve cried out. He waved his hand in the air; hoping one of the workers would see him. The grill was starting to churn black smoke, and Steve put his phone down to try and shoo away the smoke. "What do I do?"

"Steve!" Tony shouted. He ran to their tale, pulling Steve away from the table. "What happened?"

"It just went wrong," Steve cried. "I tried to cook, but I broke it!"

Some of the people around them noticed the smoke and started crying out. Waiters rushed to their table, and Tony talked to one of them about the damage. When Tony had to pull out a worn checkbook from his coat, Steve felt ashamed. Tony had to pay off the damages Steve had caused, and it hurt.

They left the restaurant after that, Steve wearing Tony's coat because his was damaged. He assured Clint that he was fine, nd ended the call before Clint could ask more questions.

"I'll pay you back," Steve said glumly. Tony placed his hand on Steve's.

"Honestly, don't. It wasn't that much anyways, and I think it's my fault for thinking this would be fun for you."

"I should have mentioned I can't cook," Steve sniffed, rubbing his watery eyes. "My mom worried that this would happen someday."

"Your mom must be psychic or something. I would have never imagined you could do this in fifteen minutes," Tony said.

"I've done worse," Steve said, looking out the window.

"Somehow, I think I believe you. Come on, there's a McDonald's down the street. I'll buy you a burger for your troubles," Tony said, and Steve agreed. They managed to steer the conversation to a lighter topic, and they continued chatting right up until the got to the fast food place.

They ordered a few things off the menu, and found a table where they could sit and eat. Tony timed Steve as he inhaled two Big Macs, and a Quarter Pounder. Steve laughed when Tony stuck a few fries in his nose, making the children passing by laugh as well.

"This brings back memories," Tony said, leaning back on his seat. He had never felt more relaxed, and he couldn't remember the last time he had laughed so hard with someone.

"From your previous dates?" Steve asked.

"Yeah. Back in high school, I dated Pepper for a bit to make my father proud. She was my best friend, and we hit it off. After a few dates and a kiss, we realized we weren't meant to be, and we broke it off. I found myself kissing this jock before school ended, and I liked it. So I'm a gay playboy, kissing boys and running the town," Tony said, gauging Steve's reaction. He didn't mention the jock also gave him his first hand job; he didn't want to overwhelm Steve too early.

"Sounds very interesting," Steve said politely.

"How about you? When did you know?" Tony asked.

"My first year of college, I went to this party. This boy came up to me and asked me to dance, and I found myself kissing him that night. We dated for a while, but he enlisted in the army and never came back. I dated a few people after that, but no one as serious as him," Steve said. "My mom was happy because I finally felt normal. I can't tell you how many times I thought I was some defected person because I didn't like any girls."

"You're perfect," Tony said. "Don't ever doubt that."

Steve smiled sheepishly. "Thanks. I'm happy with who I am now. I have what I need, and that's enough for me."

Tony looked at him for a moment before speaking. "Can I kiss you?"

Looking around, Steve made sure no one was around before nodding. Ton leaned over and placed a soft kiss on Steve lips, letting Steve get comfortable. Steve hummed, enjoying the kiss immensely. The broke apart, and Steve felt giddy.

"Good?" Tony whispered, his lips rushing Steve's.

"Yeah," Steve whispered, connecting their lips again. They did this a few times, until Steve los this ability to think. After throwing away their trash, they headed back to the car their hands brushing against each other.

They continued talking about their interests. Steve had a soft spot for war movies and comic book heroes, while Tony preferred his science fiction and gadgets.

"I mean, it's a machine that makes soda right at home! I have one in the kitchen and my living room, and I can't get enough," Tony said, smacking his lips in delight.

"You're such a kid," Steve said, laughing. On the ride back, the pair cracked jokes and teased each other until Tony arrived at Steve's apartment.

"Shall I walk you to your door?" Tony said.

"If you insist," Steve said in a best debutante voice, and waited patiently for Tony to get out of the car and open his door. "Thank you kind sir."

"My pleasure," Tony said. "Come along now, you parents shall not be pleased to see you come home so late."

Steve grimaced. "Well this just got a little weird."

"Yeah I got little carried away," Tony said, walking with Steve until they got to the door. Steve patted his thighs, wondering what was going to happen next.

"I had a great time tonight. Definitely better than my first date," Tony said.

Steve raised his eyebrow. "Really? Did Pepper set a restaurant on fire as well?"

Tony laughed. "No, but I have never had this much fun in one night."

"Me too," Steve agreed. They weren't sure what to do with themselves, until Tony wrapped his arms around Steve's lower back, pulling him closer.

"Thank you for tonight," Tony said softly, gazing at Steve's face.

"Don't mention it," Steve said, and closed his eyes when Tony kissed him again. They stood there for a while, until Tony pulled away.

"Can't get too excited now," he said breathlessly. Steve nodded, his eyes glazed over. Tony smirked, and kissed Steve's forehead. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Steve said.

* * *

Break lines are a little messy. If there's a problem, I'll fix them.

Reviews:

**Guest:** Thank you! :)

**jack2724:** Amazing idea! Thanks! :)

**Mimi Striker:** Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it! I think I'll use your idea for another date I have in mind :)

Please review!


	7. Chapter 7

I'm sorry for not posting this yesterday! I had so much going on, and I watched Les Miserables with my friend last night. Anne Hathaway left me heartbroken and sobbing into my pillow all day. Honestly, it was terribly good :) Anyways, I decided to keep the ball rolling from last time. Thanks to **Mimi Striker**, whose fantabulous idea I have taken and used for a special purpose. I tried, honestly, to recreate Buena Vista Street, but I've never been there, so I'm taking most of what I describe from a little seaport village in San Diego. Melody's restaurant is my little invention though :P

Some curse words, and shameless character insertions. Don't worry, they're only minor characters; they won't have much to do after this. Except for Neal… But enough about that, I owe you all a new chapter. Enjoy!

_**Bold Italics: Tony's text**_

_Italics: Steve's text/ thoughts_

Song lyrics used: Everybody loves Somebody, sung by Frank Sinatra

* * *

**Chapter 7**

_**C'mon Steve, it's not like I'm asking you to marry me.**_

_No. Besides, we're at work._

_**But I miss you. Come into my office Mr. Rogers~**_

_No. I'll get to you later._

Steve put away his phone. Tony had been like this ever since their date. The blond had barely been able to work without having the man shadow him everywhere, using every excuse in the book to touch Steve. He had had enough of it. They weren't even dating for Pete's sake! Steve was starting to feel like Tony's little plaything.

He left this desk for some much needed fresh air. The street outside was empty, the sounds of cars passing by relaxing Steve. A sharp click brought Steve out of his stupor. A man stood a few paces away, trying to light his cigarette with a silver lighter. He looked at Steve, and smiled slightly.

"You wouldn't happen to have a lighter by any chance? Mine's run out," the man said gruffly.

"No, I don't smoke," Steve said. The man shrugged, and put the cigarette pack in the pack.

"That sucks. I wanted to have a smoke before heading back in there," he gestured to the Stark firm, "Old man Stark has got us running ragged working on as many cases as we can all because his son's been working for free."

Steve stood up straighter. "He's working for the people who need help."

"Still doesn't make it right. His daddy's gotta pay us with something. That Tony Stark works for nothing and earns twice as much as the rest of us," The man said, leaning against a telephone pole.

"Oh yeah? What makes you better than him?" Steve said angrily.

"Nothing. He's the same as me. Just got little luck bein' born a Stark." The man looked at his watch. "Speaking of which, there's a meeting in a few minutes. Gotta get back up there sweetheart."

Steve nodded. He did not want to continue talking to the man anyway. The man headed to the doors without a second glance. Steve kicked the wall in frustration; inside, all he wanted to do was kick the man's ass, but he knew would it look bad if Tony's assistant attacked another employee. Howard Stark would have him out on the street, and it wouldn't solve anything.

Something just did not sit right in Steve's stomach. He wanted to protect Tony, but there was nothing he could do. Guilt prodded at his stomach; Tony had been so kind to him, buying him gifts and just respecting Steve's resistance. He knew that no matter how much Tony liked to push his buttons, he would never force Steve into anything he did not agree to.

_I like him_, Steve thought. _I like him a lot, so why am I waiting?_

It was time for Steve to take action. He would become a person Tony could count on, who would never treat him as Anthony Stark but as Tony.

* * *

"I've been thinking," Steve started out. He called Tony later that night, after making proper preparations for his little scheme.

"Go on," Tony murmured. Steve knew Tony was tired, but he had to do this soon. Train tickets were expensive after all.

"Let's go somewhere this weekend, just the two of us. I put in a vacation request, and I was hoping you would too," Steve said slowly. Tony was quiet for a moment, but the man grunted.

"Yeah, let's do it. I'm dying to get out of this city."

Steve smiled. Mission accomplished. "Okay, pack warmly. We're heading somewhere colder."

"It's not Washington right? I hate rainy weather," Tony said with a yawn.

"No it's not," Steve said. "But it's a little ways north if you can handle it."

"I ain't afraid of no ghosts!" Tony said jokingly. Steve laughed at the corny joke.

"Shut up and get some sleep. Tomorrow your dad is coming to see you again."

"Ugh, stupid audits… I swear the man thinks I'm going to run him out of money," Tony tiredly remarked.

"I'll reward you after work," Steve said.

"Better be a good reward. Howard's going to be a pain after he finds out how much money I've lost the firm."

"You're saving people's lives. Now hush, and go to sleep. You'll deal with your father tomorrow."

* * *

The next day, Howard Stark stood in front of his employees, rattling on about expenses and the quality of the work produced.

"We must never leave a customer feeling dissatisfied. Legal issues arise at any given moment, and clients come for quality work from our firm. We must also be aware of how much we charge our clients. If we charge too much, they run away to seek help elsewhere. If we charge too little, they flock to our firm, and we struggle to maintain order and pay our dues. No matter what, we keep our families fed and this firm running. Is that understood?"

The group agreed. Once Howard dismissed them, all but Tony left the conference room.

"Anthony, I hope you were paying attention to the meeting," Howard said sternly. "You are costing our employees thousands of dollars in revenue."

"And yet I'm still kept busy all day with my clients. Honestly, isn't this who you wanted me to be? To stop partying all night and spend more time at the firm?"

"I want you to care about this business as much as I do. This will all be yours in time; you should be realizing how tough running a business is like," Howard said.

"I'll never care as much as you father. Excuse me," Tony said, heading to the door. Howard watched him go with narrowed eyes.

"I won't let you destroy my life's work boy," he whispered.

Steve sat in Tony's office, coffee hot and ready on the desk. He did not wait long; Tony stormed into his office, and headed straight for the blonde. Steve gasped as Tony wrapped his arms around him; his face nestled in the curve of Steve's neck. He shivered as Tony's breath hit his warm skin, and patted the man as best as he could.

"Rough meeting?" Steve murmured. Tony nodded.

"Can't wait for this weekend," Tony said quietly.

"Come on, you have a few calls waiting. Better get to them," Steve said. Tony groaned, but he moved away, pressing his lips to Steve's cheek before straightening up and heading to his chair.

Steve headed back to his desk, his eyes roaming across the large community office. The receptionists looked at him with big grins on their faces, and he blushed. Trying to focus, he hit something hard as he turned to his desk, and grunted.

"Sorry about that," someone said. Steve looked up to see the man from the street leering at him, a packet of papers in his hands. "Well, look who we have here. If it isn't Stark's little assistant, off to sleep the day away."

Steve glared at him. "I'm actually busy you know."

"Filing some paperwork and answering calls, I know. But some of us have a backlog of cases we need help with, and Howard is going around making cuts left and right. Help me out a little bit," The man said. The blond sighed; he understood how Howard was about completing cases.

"Alright. But I need to back by three, got it?"

"Won't take you long if you move those pretty legs of yours," The man taunted.

"Stop that."

Copying statements, filing old cases, returning calls, fillings mugs of coffee – the list seemed endless. Tony had him doing the same things before, but now he was helping at least ten legal associates. All of them thanked him, and he felt a sense of accomplishment as they looked at him with gratitude.

His only problem? The man, Neal Thompson, insisted on watching his work. He made snide comments about Steve's utter lack of organization.

"You do the big work first, and then you forget to finish the small things. Look, you left a mess over there. Honestly, does Stark let you do this every day?" Neal said.

"Shouldn't you be working?" Steve said as he grits his teeth trying to haul a box of old files to the archives.

"Have to keep watch over you sweet cheeks. You may be helping us, but you're still Stark's lap dog. Can't have you sabotaging us to make your boss look good," Neal sneered.

"What the hell is wrong with you? We work for the same person you stu—ah!" Steve yelped as the box cracked open, papers falling to the ground at all directions. Neil rolled his eyes.

"Pick it up princess." Steve glared at him.

"You're standing there, help me," he said. Neal narrowed his eyes.

"Say please."

"Please help me," Steve asked wearily. His body was tired, and he did not want to fight anymore.

"See? How hard was that?" Neal said, leaning over to help Steve pick up the papers. The y moved around, gathering the files and placing them in their appropriate cases. Steve was glad it did not take long, and turned to thank Neal, until he felt something grabbing his rear.

"W-What was that?" Steve screeched, moving away. Neal grinned.

"Payment for helping you."

Steve rushed past him, ignoring the man as he walked back to his desk. No way was he going to deal with him again.

"Steve, Tony's been looking for you, says it's important," One of the receptionists said. Steve nodded, and walked slowly to Tony's office. He breathed in deep, and opened the door.

"Hey Steve," Tony said, holding out some envelopes. "Can you hand these to some of the fellows in the office? Howard's letting some of them go."

The blonde gulped. "I-I can't, I still have work to do."

"Okay, well I'll have one of the girls do it then. Just hand it to them," Tony said. He looked at Steve. "Hey, is everything all right?"

"Everything's fine, just keep working," Steve said, smiling at him.

"So you're not going to tell me where we're going on the weekend right?" Ton asked. "Or at least let me pay you back for the ticket fare

"Nope. Get ready for some quality bonding time, and don't worry about money," Steve said brightly. In a softer tone, he whispered, "As long as you get along with my mother, everything should be fine."

"What did you say?"

"Nothing~"

* * *

Friday came, and the two men were off. Tony groaned when he boarded the train, but it was worth it to have Steve's warmth right next to him. It did not matter that the old man sitting in front of them snored louder than the rattle of the train, or that some of the other passengers looked like ex-convicts. As long as Steve kept resting his head on Tony's shoulder as he slept, it was fine.

After two hours, they arrived at their destination. Tony shivered as he stepped out, and saw a rustic old train station protecting them from the cold. Several people lounged about, and one woman in particular ran towards them. She wrapped her arms around Steve, who laughed and spun her around.

"Stevie, welcome home!" The woman cooed. "How has work been? Did you have fun over New Years? How are Natasha and Clint? Oh and where's Tony?"

"Mom, he's right here," Steve said, laughing at his mother's shocked face. She pulled out a pair of glasses from her pocket, laughing nervously as she held out her hand to Tony.

"Hello there Tony, I'm Steve's mother Laura. Sorry about not noticing you, I'm getting a little old. It's very nice to meet Steve's boy—"

"Mom!" Steve whined, poking the woman softly. "Don't embarrass me!"

Tony grinned as the woman chided her son for his behavior.

"Now Steve, behave. I am still your mother, and I can and _will_ coddle you, even if you're a big man now," She said with a stern tone.

"Yes Steve, listen to your mother," Tony teased. Steve glared at him.

"Alright boys, help me get your luggage into the truck and you can be off to enjoy your evening," Steve's mother said.

"Wait, I was going to show him our house first," Steve said.

"No, I think you need to take care of something first Steve. Best be doing it soon, or else there will be no point in inviting him here," Steve's mother said cryptically. "Melody's is open 'til midnight tonight. I expect to hear some grand news tomorrow!"

Steve blushed, and nodded. Tony wanted to ask what was going on, but seeing the nervous look on Steve's face and the proud grin on Laura's face made him wonder if it was a good idea. They pulled their suitcases onto the small pickup truck parked outside, and Laura drove off after they said good bye.

"So what was all that about?" Tony blurted out.

"I asked my mom if we could stay here for the weekend. There's… something I need to take care of. But first, I think I should show you around here. This place is amazing," Steve said, grinning widely as he pulled Tony forward.

At first, it looked like a typical small town, but after passing a snow-covered arch, Tony's eyes widened. It was as if they had traveled through time and ended up in the 40s. The cobbled streets were wide and inviting. Tall curved lampposts lighted the pathway for people to mingle about as 40's music wafted through the street. Tiny shops lined the streets, their doors open for business.

The shop windows displayed shoes, toys, candy, and anything you can imagine. At the very center of the block was a small roundabout with a large tree in the middle. A group of people stood in a line right below the tree, singing carols and 40's tunes. Couples watched and waited for the music to start dancing, filling the street with laughter and merriment.

"Wow Steve, this is amazing," Tony said, his eyes looking everywhere.

"You like it? It's our little secret tourist spot," Steve said. "Come on, let's look around."

They walked around every shop, Steve waving hello to everyone who recognized him. Some of the shop owners welcomed Steve back with open arms, and prodded him for information about Tony. Steve winked, and they all understood. The blonde was sure the gossip would spread about them soon.

Tony felt like a kid again. Out of all the shops, he especially enjoyed the watchmaker's workshop. The man was kind enough to show Tony some of the little trinkets he had made with spare parts from the watches. He especially liked the small robot that walked as the watchmaker wound its key.

"I used to beg my dad to buy me tools and let me build something like this. He always said it was pointless to try, and that I should focus on studying instead," Tony remarked, admiring the craftsmanship of the man's pieces.

"We all want what's best for our children, but I think it's best to let their imaginations grow, don't you think?" The man said, smiling at Tony. "You have a lot of imagination for a big shot like yourself. Trust me, if you put it to good use, it won't matter what others say."

"Thank you," Tony agreed, and bought a small silver pocket watch. The watchmaker rang him up, and placed the watch and the tiny robot inside a paper bag.

"Yours to keep. Have a good night boys, and say hello to your mother for me Steve," The watchmaker said, eyeing the blonde. Steve nodded, and they headed out.

"This is the best," Tony gushed, his eyes locked onto the robot in the bag. Steve rolled his eyes and pulled Tony to a two story building with a large neon sign saying _"Melody's"_. Inside was a bustling restaurant reminiscent of a 20's style motel. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and tall stone pillars held the ceiling up. One gleaming wood stair case stood in the middle.

"Table for two?" One waitress approached them. Steve's eyes widened.

"Peggy?" The waitress smiled.

"Hello Steve. Is this your date?" She gestured to Tony.

"Yes, um, we'd like a private table please," Steve said nervously.

"Of course. Your aunt saved you a table upstairs, just head up and I'll be there with your food," Peggy said, and the two headed upstairs.

"Who is she?" Tony asked as they walked up. He felt a little out of place in jeans and a turtleneck sweater, but after seeing most of the patrons wearing the same thing, he felt a little better.

"She's a friend. Over the holidays she comes to visit her family, but I think something's keeping her longer this time," Steve mused, heading to the empty table situated in the corner. They had a perfect view of the street below, allowing Tony to glance down and smile.

"So what are we eating?" Tony said.

"Depends on what Aunt Flo is cooking," Steve said simply.

"And you just eat here without knowing?"

"She knows what I don't like, and she makes sure her customers leave with their stomachs full and their hearts content," Steve answered.

Peggy came upstairs through a small elevator, bringing a tray of covered food and a bottle of wine.

"Aunt Flo made country fried steak, her bacon bit mashed potatoes and gravy, and sweet corn-on-the-cob just for you,' Peggy said, doling out the large steaming plates to the two men. "She also sends this wine, seeing as your friend here's from the city. She thought he might enjoy it."

"Thank you Peggy. Tell my Aunt Flo thanks too," Steve said. Peggy nodded, and walked away with the empty tray.

"Well, it's good I haven't had anything to eat then," Tony said nervously. The food looked amazing, but he wondered if he could finish it all.

Steve seemed to read his mind and assured him he did not have to eat it all. "Aunt Flo has a few takeaway boxes, just in case."

They began eating. Tony savored each bite, relishing in the moist meat and spices washing over his taste buds. When they finished, they grabbed the open bottle of wine and drank a bit, talking about Steve's town and a bit about work.

"Are you finished?" Steve said. Tony eyed his half-finished steak, and regretfully pushed his plate away.

"There's no way I can finish it." Steve laughed, and grabbed their plates.

"Come on, we'll say goodbye to Aunt Flo and leave." They moved towards the elevator Peggy had exited from, and used it to go down. The elevator doors opened to a bustling kitchen, cooks moving quickly to serve the customers. A short, plump woman bared orders to the cooks, surveying the entirety of the kitchen. "Aunt Flo!"

"Stevie boy! How are you1" The woman, Aunt Flo, came up to them, pulling Steve into another hug. "You didn't come home for New Year's, naughty boy! I made peach cobbler thinking you'd be back, had to serve it to my customers instead!"

"I made plans. Anyway, we just want a box to wrap up our leftovers," Steve said.

"I'll pack you both some fresh food, don't worry about those," Aunt Flo said, grabbing the plates and handed them over to a young cook. "I'll see to it that whatever you don't eat gets donated to the shelter across the street."

"Are you sure?" Steve said.

"Boy, you know I always send leftovers over there. Now hush, and go show your handsome date around!" Aunt Flo shooed them out the door. "Food will be ready in an hour!"

Steve and Tony thanked her before heading to the roundabout. The group was taking a break. Instead of singing, soft music played from a radio. Frank Sinatra crooned a soft melody, and the scarce number of couples took advantage to cuddle up against each other.

Steve nervously played with his jacket. He glanced at Tony, who smiled and held his hand out.

"Care to dance?" he said. Steve looked around; no one paid them any attention. He nodded, and was pulled into a comfortable dancing position, his left arm on Tony's shoulder, his right hand entwined with Tony's. He felt Tony pull him into a simple waltz, and moved slowly, enjoying the moment.

Everybody loves somebody sometime

Everybody falls in love somehow

Something in your kiss just told me

My sometime is now

Everybody finds somebody someplace

There's no telling where love may appear

Something in my heart keeps saying

My someplace is here

Steve rested his head on Tony's shoulder, enjoying his warmth.

Everybody loves somebody sometime

And although my dreams were overdue

Your love made it all worth waiting

For someone like you

Tony looked at the blonde, feeling his cheeks blush. It felt just right having the man in his arms, and he couldn't help but place a kiss on Steve's cheek.

Steve blushed, looking at the man. Moments passed, and the two stopped swaying.

"Steve, I—" Tony started saying, losing his courage quickly. He cleared his throat, and began again "I… I like you. A lot. Probably more than I've liked anyone else in my life."

"I-I like you too. A lot," Steve whispered. "I brought you here because I felt it too."

"So we feel the same?" Tony asked him. Steve nodded.

"Okay. That's great!" Tony said, smiling. He pressed a kiss to Steve's forehead. "So will you do me the honor of becoming my lover?"

Steve looked confused, until Tony said, "Well, not lovers in the sense that we fuck and stuff, but in the sense that we like each other and go on dates and stuff. You know, because we're adults, and calling ourselves boyfriends sounds childish, and… you're laughing at me."

Indeed, the blonde was laughing, enjoying Tony's embarrassment. "I get it Tony. Jeez, what am I going to do with you?"

"Kiss me," Tony said, sticking his lower lip out. Steve rolled his eyes, and pressed his lips to Tony's. They moved in tandem, parting their lips to taste each other. Tony held onto Steve as the blonde whimpered, his knees buckling. They stayed like that for a while, kissing slowly, until the need for air won over.

Steve's eyes were glazed over, but the grin on his face said it all. Tony smiled, and placed another kiss on Steve's lips, before grabbing his hand and dragging him away. After getting their food from the restaurant, they walked along the road, Steve enlightening Tony with stories from his childhood.

Tony walked along, teasing Steve at the appropriate times, and kissing him under the streetlights. It was pretty late, so no one stopped them when they clung to each other, mashing their lips together.

They had to pull away as they neared Steve's childhood home. The lights were on inside, and Steve was glad to see nothing had changed. Entering the home using the spare key, they headed upstairs after leaving the food in the kitchen. Steve's mother had placed an air mattress in Steve's old room for Tony.

Once they were ready for bed, Steve glanced at Tony, who was getting comfy on the floor.

"Will you come up here with me?" He whispered to the man.

"Will your mother get mad if she finds us together?" Tony replied.

Steve shook his head. "Don't care. I want you up here with me."

Tony got up and curled around Steve. They lay in the small bed, their arms intertwined and fingers curled tight around each other.

* * *

This was probably the hardest thing I had to write. You have no idea… Fluff must be fluffed right!

Yay they're together! I'm so happy! Ha, now comes the hard part, keeping this story going! Please review and tell me what you think!

**Reviews:**

**Jack2724:** Thank you! Gosh, you're awesome! I'm glad you're liking the story :)

**Old Man River:** Thank you kindly! I'm glad you love it! :)


	8. Chapter 8

Well, despite everything that's going on in my life, I knew I had to update. It's not fair to you, the readers, to keep you waiting. I'm just going to take it slow for the next couple of updates. There's something I have to deal with right now, and I'm going to try and update as quick as I can. Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, following this story :)

So, I really stuck my hand in this time eh? Steve and Tony are together, but there are some loose strings I have to tie before I decide this is finished. In light of that, I'm skipping the weekend getaway and moving a little forward into their relationship. Just know they had a nice time looking over some of Steve's childhood memories, Tony fell off a snowboard, and Steve's mom accepts her son is dating his boss.

Um, can I just say this whole chapter is a warning? I don't know…

* * *

**Chapter 8**

Steve and Tony had been together for a few weeks now. It was definitely a work in progress. Tony wanted to jump right into the process, going on more dates and holding hands in public, kissing in restaurants and the like. He had a gorgeous man at his side, why shouldn't he be able to do so? Steve wanted to take it slow, let the moments come, but Tony kind of pressured him to go beyond his limits.

In a way, they were good. Lots of dinner dates and Saturdays at some new art exhibit or play. At work, Tony would beg Steve to stay in his office for a bit longer, teasing the man and letting his hands wander.

"Stop that, we're at work," Steve complained for the third time.

"But I can't help myself. I just want to have you here with me," Tony said, groaning at the stack of work on his desk. "Any chance we can burn these cases?"

"Your father will have a fit," Steve said.

"It's his fault anyway. If we had this much work, he shouldn't have been so quick to lay off some people." It's true; ever since the initial lay off, the cases were piling up. Tony was forced to take on four new clients, all high maintenance and willing to complain to his father if Tony did not accommodate him.

"Either way, you have work. I have to go," Steve said, walking out.

"Fine, leave me with my work," Tony said, reviewing the paperwork.

Steve headed to his desk, noting the tall man standing in front of it.

"Took you long enough," Neal said gruffly. "The boys next door are requesting your assistance."

"I have stuff I need to take care of," Steve said curtly. "When I am done, I'll go ahead and help them."

"C'mon sweet cheeks, we're dyin' over there. We all have new cases cause of the layoff. Help us keep our jobs."

"And I actually have work, so if you could move," Steve said, maneuvering himself to his chair.

"Watch it, pretty boy. Out of all of us, you're the one who's in the most danger here," Neal sneered.

"Oh really? And why's that?" Steve said, typing away at his computer.

"Howard's cutting loose ends. You're a simple go-to boy, nothing special. When the time comes, you'll be out on the street."

"I'm glad you told me that. Now _move_," Steve said, glaring at the man.

"Keep acting this way, and you'll see how cutthroat us Stark employees really are," Neal scoffed, walking away.

Steve couldn't believe that man. The nerve of him! He typed away furiously, one eye on the clock. What he wouldn't do to give that guy a punch!

"Tasha's making stir fry, and you're saying you can't come?" Clint said over the phone.

"Yeah, Tony and I are going to this restaurant in town, some fancy Italian place. Either way, we're celebrating together," Steve said, folding his laundry.

"Aw, is it your three week anniversary or something?" Clint cooed.

"Something like that. Tony managed to overturn some judge's custody decision for a poor working mother. It's his tenth pro bono case that he's successfully closed so far."

"Congrats to him,' Clint said.

"Yeah, we're happy. It's a happy thing," Steve said simply.

"So is he paying for dinner or…?"

"We split the check."

"Okay, well I'll tell Natasha you're not coming. Won't be the same without our little Steve coming to eat us out of house and home," Clint sighed.

"You can have a date night," Steve suggested.

"Eh, Tasha's not into the whole splurging thing. Rent is pretty expensive and all."

"I know what you mean. Howard cut my wages again," Steve said.

"What? That bastard's just cruel."

"I'm lucky. It's still decent enough that I can afford rent and food, I just can't buy any comic books in the meantime," Steve said, placing his folded laundry in the correct drawers.

"Seriously, you should talk to Tony. Maybe you both can stay in or something, save some money,' Clint suggested.

"No, I can't. This place is a dump; I can't bring him in here. And I don't want to feel any worse about my situation by going over to his posh palace."

"Still…"

"I'm just going to be a little thrifty is all. I'll order a salad instead of the ravioli," Steve's stomach grumbled. "And it wouldn't hurt if you brought over some leftovers from the stir fry."

Clint sighed. "I'm always gonna end up feeding you, aren't I?"

* * *

"Dinner is great," Steve said, raising his water glass.

"Are you sure you just want the spaghetti? There's a lot of things on the menu you can try," Tony said, sipping from his wine.

"No, I think I'll stick with spaghetti." In truth, the pasta was way pricier than he expected, but if he told Tony, the man would try and buy him a plate of shrimp alfredo. Steve settled for the simple dish, aware of how much money was in his wallet. When the food arrived, they ate quietly for a bit.

"So, how is your mother handling this?" Tony asked.

"She's taking it well. I get texts sometimes, and she's always got some new piece of advice for me. Last night, she sent me a text saying 'Don't ever cook for Tony. Goodness knows what you'd give him'."

Tony smiled. "Something tells me you were cursed as a child."

"Oh yeah, some evil sea witch decided to cast a wicked spell on me," Steve said sarcastically.

"It could be possible," Tony mused.

"Hans Christen Anderson has already done it. Besides, I think it might just be some genetic defect," Steve said, polishing off his plate. The two continued to talk until someone came up to them.

"Tony! Long time no see!" A young man wearing a burgundy coat and sleek pants came up to them, smiling brightly at Tony.

"Hey kid," Tony said stiffly.

"I haven't seen you around lately. I thought old Stark had you locked up in that fancy mansion of his?"

"Maybe. Either way, I'm trying to enjoy a nice meal with Steve right now, so if you could just leave," Tony said quickly, not looking at the man's face.

"This your boyfriend?" He asked, pointing at Steve.

"Yes."

The man gave Steve a wide smile. "Hello, I'm Adam, an old friend of Tony's."

"He's someone I met long ago," Tony said to Steve. He had seen the questionable look on Steve's face.

"Okay then," Steve cleared his throat. "I think I'll use the restroom right now."

He really had no intention of going, but what could it hurt to let Tony meet his old friend? Excusing himself, he headed to the other side of the restaurant. Adam plopped down in Steve's seat, grinning wildly at Tony.

"You really had to show up didn't you? After what you did to me?" Tony whispered furiously.

"I remember you were willing to go through with it. Besides, old Stark still kept you around didn't he?" Adam said smugly.

"After he cut me off. Damn it, I was just getting over all that crap," Tony sighed, running his fingers through his hair.

"The party scene just isn't the same without you Tony. No more drunken fights at the bars and the dancers at the clubs have got nothing on you," Adam purred, crossing his legs.

"I'm over that. Go away now, before Steve comes back," Tony muttered.

"Steve huh? Seems like you're settling down now. What happened to the guy who swore he'd never get trapped in a relationship? The man who was hell-bent on jumping into the fire, no matter how much it burned?" Adam said. "I think he's still in there. Somewhere, somehow, I know I can get him back."

"Leave!" Tony shouted, alerting the next table.

"Would you like to join me?" Adam said, ignoring Tony's outburst. "Noir's got this cool new DJ who's spinning tonight. I have extra guest passes if you'd like."

"No thanks," Tony answered.

"I know Noir used to be your favorite club to hang out. No rules or limits," Adam said, pulling two shiny passes from his coat. "Besides, I think the press would be eager to hear about Tony Stark's new date. All it would take is one phone call…"

Tony glared at the young man. "Adam, you wouldn't dare."

"Oh~ Are we hiding this from the news? Didn't you get papa Stark's approval yet?" Adam asked mockingly. "Dear, aren't we being little rebels?"

"I swear, if you go to the press I will—"

"Bring your date to Noir. I'll keep my mouth shut if you do," Adam said, placing the passes on the table. "I think it would do you good to show Steve who you really are."

Tony looked at him questioningly. "Steve and I just started dating Adam; don't make this about what happened two years ago."

"No I'm not. But do you really think you can hide your past from him? I mean, seriously, if you knew anything about relationships, you'd know Steve would eventually ask questions as to why Howard thinks you're a disappointment."

"It was an accident," Tony said. His eyes looked worried, noting the blonde walking over.

Steve came back, hoping he did not interrupt them. Adam smiled as he walked over.

"Steve! We were just talking about you."

Tony stayed silent, grabbing the passes. He looked at Steve. "Adam got us passes to this club. I think it'd be nice if we go."

"Are you sure?" Steve asked.

"Trust me Steve, Noir's a cool place. You love it!" Adam gushed. He took a glance at Steve's outfit. "You just need some fancier duds. Tony, would you mind splurging?"

"No, I don't need new clothes thanks," Steve interjected. "How is what I'm wearing not good enough?"

"Noir's got a dress code. If you pulled out your shirt, maybe ruffle up your hair a bit… Yeah, I think you'd look great. I'll lend you my grey coat I go stashed in my car."

Steve looked at Tony. "Do you want to do this?"

"Yeah. Let's pay for the food and go," Tony said, raising his hand to signal the waiter.

Twenty minutes later, Steve stood next to Tony, his eyes looking over the lavish night club. The exterior was a glossy black, and a line that reached the next block stood in front. Adam pulled them to the door, all of them flashing their passes. Steve felt a little uncomfortable in Adam's coat, but when he noticed what other people were wearing, he felt a tiny bit shabby.

Tony steered him away from the throng, finding a small table near the bar. Adam seemed to float by, enjoying the attention from the people around him.

"So, the DJ's coming on at 10. Let's get some drinks beforehand," Adam shouted over the pulsing music.

"Wait, Adam!" Steve shouted, but the man had left to the bar already. He returned with three glasses of ice and a large bottle of whiskey.

"Thought it'd be nice to give Tony his favorite drink. Come on, pour!" Adam shouted, giving Steve the bottle. "A nice little boy like you should learn to pour alcohol!"

"Adam! Stop this now!" Tony shouted.

Steve opened the bottle and poured a bit into each glass.

"Atta boy Steve! Come on, let's toast!" Adam lifted his drink. "To the new couple!"

Steve lifted his slightly, and sipped. He tried not to make a face, noting the look of content on Adam. For some reason, he felt a bit put off by the man, and he really wanted nothing more than to go back home. Tony seemed fine though, and if he wanted to stay, Steve did not want to force him to leave.

Tony tried to remain calm, but he watched Adam like a hawk. Any sign of him bolting, and Tony was ready with a phone call to the right people. He would not have Adam ruining his night out with Steve.

"I think it's time. C'mon Steve!" Adam pulled Steve up out of his chair, surprising the couple.

"W-What?" Steve said.

"We're moving closer to the stage. This DJ's got some wicked way of letting the beat pulse through the audience, come and see!" Before Steve could protest, Adam held onto his arm, pulling into the crowd of people dancing. The pressure in his arm disappeared after Steve reached the middle of the dance floor. He was stranded, surrounded by so many people gyrating around him.

"Adam!" Steve shouted, gasping when someone's elbow hit him in the shoulder. He maneuvered his way to the front of the stage, where the DJ stood, readying his equipment. Steve tensed; the music playing was pounding right in his ears. He tried to think. Maybe he could get to the edge of the dance floor and head back? There was no way he would want to stay in the crowd. Looking around, he knew he would never find Adam in there.

But the crowd had other ideas. As soon as the DJ was announced, they swarmed around Steve, trapping him. Chests pressed against his back, and he shuddered at the feel of someone's hand on his bottom. Swatting the hand away, he slinked to the left, avoiding the people right at the edge of the stage dancing.

Somehow, Steve managed to escape after a while trapped between the dancers. The crowd thinned, letting him edge away. He had pushed a few people out of his way, but he had apologized! The area around the dance floor was a little calmer; Steve just had to avoid the staring and walk towards the brightly lit bar. He saw a man holding a bottle over his head, standing on top of a table.

"Steeve!"

Oh no.

"Where's my cute ass lover? C'mere you!" Tony made his way off the table, cursing a little as he prodded the bottle into his chest. On the ground, he swayed a bit. Steve walked over furiously, grabbing the bottle from Tony.

"What have you been doing?"

"Whassa matter? A guy can't have a couple of drinks?" Tony gushed, leaning on the table.

"Where's Adam?" Steve said.

"Adam! My best friend… he got me a drink! Said," Tony burped. "Said he's gonna get me a drink. Where is he?"

"Good question. Now, I think we need to head back." Steve grabbed Tony's arm, but Tony pulled away.

"Nuh-uh! You went and danced all night! I want to dance wi'h you now~" Tony slurred his words, grabbing Steve's waist.

"I don't want to Tony," Steve said, pushing against Tony's chest.

"S-Stebe, I want," Tony rolled his head a bit, "to dance with you."

"No," Steve protested. Tony's hands wandered over Steve's body, and the way Tony kept eyeing him…

He flinched when Tony's face got closer. There was no way he was going to let Tony pull any moves on him while he was drunk. Steve knew what he wanted, and doing those things while Tony was drunk would be disastrous. He kept his face away from Tony's, pulling away from the man as soon as his hold loosened.

Looking around, Steve tried to find the exit, but so many people were crowding the bar for a drink, they were blocking the entrance. He spotted Adam standing a few feet away, grinning ferally as if he had finally caught his prey. Adam walked away, motioning towards the exit, away from the crowd.. Steve nodded his thanks, and pulled a dazed Tony towards the carefully hidden door.

The air outside was cool, a reprieve from the heat and sweat of the club. Steve grunted as he pulled Tony's limp arm across his shoulders, supporting him as they walked over to the main street.

Stave was taken aback when a camera flashed, and soon, he was surrounded.

"Excuse me, can I have a word?"

"Hey, that's Tony Stark!"

"What is Mr. Stark doing here?"

"Give me a name doll face! What's your name?"

Lowering his head, he tried to push ahead of the photographers, but until Tony decided to pull his weight, Steve couldn't move.

"Who are ya kid?"

"The name's Steeve, punk," Tony shouted, half conscious. He pushed the photographer out of the way. "Le'ss go home and party!"

"Dammit Tony," Steve muttered, pulling Tony away from the cameras. He spotted Tony's car a couple of feet away.

"How's it you're shoooo hot Steve?" Tony said, bumping into Steve's body.

"I, am, never, letting, you, do," Steve grunted, pulling Tony's upper body back up, "this, to, me, again!"

"'S fun though?" Tony said. "Hey, let's... let's go back to my place, ok?"

"No!" Steve shouted, pushing Tony onto his car. He started rummaging through Tony's pockets to look for the car keys, but Tony had other plans. He pushed Steve onto the ground, burying his face into Steve's neck.

"You schmell sooo good Stevee," Tony caressed Steve, running his hands over the shaking body and licking his neck. Steve struggled, kicking at Tony's legs. His hands held Tony's body over him, but Tony had grabbed onto his coat, and would not move any further.

"Get off of me!" Steve said through gritted teeth.

"Why? I wanna feel you Steve~"

This was not how he wanted to do this! Steve, after uttering a quick apology, kneed Tony in the groin, and rolled the man over onto the ground. He stood up shakily, his hands grimy with dirt from the floor.

Not looking back, he walked a little ways away from Tony and pulled his phone out.

"Hello?" Clint said quietly.

Steve struggled to catch his breath. "Clint, can you come over to Baker Street? I need a ride."

"Steve, is everything okay?"

Clearing his throat, Steve managed to sound okay to answer Clint. "I'm fine; I just need to get away from here."

"I'll be right over."

* * *

The press had printed the story. Every magazine in town boasted pictures of the couple going out, Tony's arm around Steve's shoulders. Articles were written, people were gossiping, and yet no one could find out the name of Tony Stark's newest fling.

_**Who is Tony Stark's hot date?**_

_Well, it seems someone has brought our favorite playboy back where he belongs: in front of our cameras. Recently, the powerful heir to Howard Stark's empire has been seen strolling around his old hang out spots, sporting a very stylish blonde man. Sources say that the man's name is Steve, but nothing else about the man has been uncovered._

_Meanwhile, Tony has been back at his old ways. Last night, our reporters found him exiting a popular night club with his date, highly intoxicated and hanging onto his date's shoulders. Now, we are all ready to accept this new love interest, especially if it brings big party boy Tony back into our lives._

"There's another one Steve," Clint pointed out. Steve groaned; on Friday night, Tony had convinced him to go dancing at a night club he used to frequent. Ever since they started dating, Tony had been pushing him beyond his boundaries. It was all becoming too much for Steve.

"I'm going crazy," Steve muttered.

"Listen to this: 'Wow, Stark really likes them hot. Too bad he's gay ;)'."

"And?" Steve had heard that so many times over the past few days; it no longer irked him as much. People were going to talk, he knew. Steve only wanted Tony to stop giving people things to talk about.

"Someone else replied to that comment," Clint trailed off. He shut off his laptop, facing his friend. "Nothing good on there. Anyways, how about dinner?" He yelled over his shoulder. "Tasha, is dinner ready yet?"

"Of course!" Natasha shouted from the kitchen. Steve sat across from Clint, trying to relax. The whole weekend was nothing short of a nightmare. With Tony's attempts to steer clear of the press, the rumors about them got even worse. Steve shuddered as he remembered a certain blog calling him "a two timing twink messing with a rich man." The stories were getting out of hand, but Steve couldn't deny them, and he couldn't just forget about them. Tony was ignoring his calls, and the media was adamant on letting the story run its course.

It seemed as if Tony was reverting back to his wicked ways, and Steve had no idea how to feel about it. He mumbled to himself, ignoring the plate of pasta Natasha placed in front of him.

"What's wrong?" Natasha asked, sitting down.

"I don't know," Steve said, picking at his plate.

"Is it Tony?" She tried again, noting Steve's utterly expressionless face.

"I just want things back to how they were three weeks ago, when things were nice and simple," Steve muttered.

"Nothing is simple about relationships Steve, you know that," Natasha said.

"Nothing's different. I mean, I should have known; Tony was a firecracker before his dad to a hold on him," Steve said.

"It wasn't your fault. Tony just walked in like Prince Charming," Clint said.

"Oh yeah, some Prince Charming. You know, he was some prick before… I don't know, somehow, he seemed okay after New Year's and stuff. I liked the guy who sat next to my mother and held her glasses for her when she looked out the window, not the guy who…" Steve trailed off. He hadn't told Clint or Natasha about Tony's attack. Somehow, he knew it wasn't the right time to say anything; Clint would be furious and Natasha would stalk the man until he was dead.

"The guy who did what?" Natasha said.

"Nothing. Just a bad drunk is all," Steve said, lifting a bit of pasta into his mouth.

* * *

Tony stumbled back into his apartment. His key would not go in for some reason, until two hands stopped him, and opened the door. He looked to his right, and Pepper stood there, glaring at his drunken state.

"Pepper? What are you doin' here?" Tony said, leaning on the doorframe.

"I thought I would be nice and come see my friend being a responsible adult. Instead I get a half drunk loser," Pepper said stiffly.

"Ha, I'm just a little piece of shit aren't I?"

"You're a mess," she said simply, pushing him into the dark room. Tony grumbled a bit, and toddled off to his bedroom.

"How long has this been going on?" Pepper asked him as she followed him.

"Just a bit of drinking, nothing to worry about," Tony said sleepily.

"Right. I'm having a hard time believing that when the whole city is aflame, they think you're coming back. I had three people ask me if you wanted to party with them," Pepper watched him pull of his ties and shoes. "How is Steve taking this?"

"Thinks I'm his Prince Charming," Tony said with a grin.

"You take it too far sometimes, I swear," Pepper said.

"I just wanted to show him a good time. All he knows about me is what I've shown him, so why can't I show him this side of me as well?" Tony said sluggishly.

"Because this isn't you Tony. You're scaring him off like this, and it's all because you don't know how to handle your drinking,"

"Don't say that, I want to be with Steve," Tony protested. "I just… this is what I used to do with the people I slept with. They liked me at my worst, why shouldn't Steve?"

"Steve isn't somebody who you want to hook up with. He's a nice man, and your employee. Treat him like dirt and he'll leave."

"M'not treating him like dirt," Tony said, dozing off. Pepper rolled her eyes, and rapped the man in a blanket.

"Stop treating yourself like this."

* * *

I lost this just as I saved it. Probably because I saved this chapter as "Study on Human Mind" (some assignment for psychology class). I should definitely keep track next time :P

I swear I'm done inserting characters. Adam's just a tease; he's a catalyst for what's to come. I wanted to use a canon character, but I had a vision for Tony's past, and I needed a sleazy guy. Sorry, but I adore all the characters in the Avengers too much to make them into that (even Loki!).

**Reviews:**

**jack2724:** As always, thanks for liking it. You keep me going! :)

**Mimi Striker:** Thank you lovely! I just tried to make it as sweet as I could :)

**bjb89:** Glad you enjoy the story! Neal's not much more than a bully though, but I think I'm gonna let him continue to be just a nuisance :)

**Dragon-Bowl:** I think you're right, I feel I skipped something, but I'm trying to keep myself from doing that. About that, I guess I never really figured out how to create internal conflict, or I've seen it done in other stories much better than I could. Maybe it's just me, but I think I would never do Steve and Tony's characters justice if I placed more conflict within them (not that I'm doing such a good job now either). Thank you so much for pointing out I'm missing though. I feel you really helped me find what I'm lacking as a writer :)

**Zeldachic459:** I'm just glad you're still reading my story! Honestly, thank you for liking this. I'm sorry for the wait though! :)

**Miss R. Hood:** Yep, first published story! I'm glad you like it! :)


	9. Chapter 9

Sorry for the wait guys! I had to get a job, so I got kind of busy. Anyways, thank you to those who are still reading this! You're amazing :)

Warnings: It's not graphic, but mentions of drugs and swears in this chapter.

* * *

Tony struggled to keep his eyes shut. The light coming in from the windows reminded him of the pounding in his head and the promise of another long day. His slim hone lay on the floor, vibrating ever so often.

What had happened?

_At Noir, he stayed seated at their table, sipping ever so often from the gold liquid in his glass. The taste was familiar, almost as if he had never stopped drinking it in the first place. _

_Why was Adam coming back? And where was Steve?_

_Adam sat next to him. "That boy of yours, man! He just ran off without me!"_

_Tony eyed the crowd. "I'll go find him. Might be time to call it a night for us."_

_As he stood, Adam latched onto his sleeve. "C'mon Tony, let him have some fun. Remember when we used to enjoy ourselves here?"_

"_Oh yeah,' Tony said coldly. "All the partying was great. I had a great time dancing and drinking, and finding out that my friend was stealing money from me, from the same account that Howard let me use. Oh, and let's not forget to mention that one night you drugged me, and I had to go to the hospital and get my stomach pumped! Yeah, what a __**great**__ time!"_

_Tony's voice had risen as he stared right at the man in front of him. Adam looked unfazed, merely touching the half empty glass of whiskey on the table._

"_Yeah, that sucked. You're okay though," Adam sighed, dropping his head. "I'm sorry Tony, for everything."_

"_What really sucked for me was the fact that you just stopped talking to me after I got clean. I thought we were friends Adam. I guess we weren't that close," Tony said. _

"_Hey, I was going through some shit too. Don't pin this on me," Adam snarled. _

"_Who else am I going to blame?" Tony growled, looking away from Adam. "I trusted you for a second, and now, no matter what I do, I'm never going to be anything but a disappointment in Howard's eyes." He grabbed the glass of whiskey on the table and took a long sip._

"_Get over yourself Stark. You were always a disappointment to Howard," Adam said, placing his hands on the table. "You tell yourself it's my fault, but you were the one who wanted an escape. All I ever heard from you was Howard this, Howard that. Poor rich daddy's boy, who never got to play with the other kids or play with his toys, you chose to run away and forget. It was your fault as much as it was mine!"_

_His head was spinning. Tony held his head up with one hand, resting his arm on the table. "Sh… Shut… up…"_

"_Remember that feeling?" Adam continued, grabbing the open bottle, and placing more of the drink in Tony's glass. "I put a little something in your glass, thought it might help you relax a bit."_

"_Heh… shut up," Tony slurred. "I wanna fin… Steve…"_

"_Don't worry; your little boy should be coming soon. Meanwhile, you stay here; I'm going to go get you some water," Adam smirked. "I won't be back. Tell Steve he can have that fugly coat; I was going to toss it anyway. "_

"_Mkay!" Tony chirped with a huge grin on his face. Adam laughed and turned to walk away._

He remembered bits and pieces after that. Tony groaned; something about a hangover was just not appealing. He rose from the bed, and promptly feel back in pain. His whole back was on fire, and somehow, his chin was throbbing.

"Must've fallen," he muttered. Tony tried to get up again, gingerly leaning forward. Yeah, there wasno way he was bening don anytime soon. He walked over to the bathroom. The ache in his back made it impossible for him to bend down and run a bath, but he could run a long, hot shower. Tony just lay under the water, too tired to deal with anything.

He had fallen for it again. Adam, devious Adam, had struck him down again, this time affecting not only Tony, but Steve. He clenched his hands. If Adam hurt Steve in any way, Tony would kill him.

After showering, Tony looked for something to wear. He dressed slowly, noting the places where he felt bruised and swollen. What had he done? Contemplating the events after the incident, he could only remember seeing a lot of flashing lights, feeling something smooth, and then, falling to the ground and laying there.

There was no way he could lean down and pick his phone up, so he decided to take a few aspirins for the pain. Tony hobbled over to his medicine cabinet, finding a half full bottle of aspirin. He took two, washing them down with water. He felt the pain ebbing away, now just a dull ache.

"Fuck it; I'm crashing on the couch today," Tony muttered, walking towards his den. He laid down slowly, and grabbed the small remote from the coffee table. Flipping through channels, Tony noticed a popular celebrity news channel. It took him a moment to realize they were airing a picture of him hanging over Steve, a shit-faced grin on his face.

"Oh shit."

He watched the show carefully, but apparently, the story had been out for a while; they were merely recounting the story before moving on to the newest celebrity gossip. Even so, Tony felt a cold chill creep into his spine, and with a mad bout for energy, he went to his room, grunting in pain as he bent down and checked his phone.

**_11 missed calls. New messages._**

The battery was dying, and Tony scrambled to find his charger before doing anything else. After plugging it in, he checked his missed calls. There were some from Pepper, Steve, and one from work – but most were from one Howard Stark. Tony gulped; of course Howard had heard by now. He had slept through the entire weekend…

Tony opened up his inbox.

_**Pepper: Damage control…**_

_**Steve: Where are y…**_

He opened up Pepper's texts first. She had texted him the most, for a very good reason.

_**Pepper:**_

_**-The story just broke out. Hired a publicist for you. Get back to me soon.**_

_**-I can't keep this out of the media. Sorry. Call me.**_

_**-Damn it, call me! NOW!**_

_**-TONY.**_

He scrolled down, ignoring the texts with swears, cutting to the more pertinent messages.

_**-I've kept Steve out of this. The Asgard brothers are keeping the gossip mongers stranded for info. **_

_**-Howard's on me about you. If you don't call me soon, he'll come after you.**_

Tony gulped. He needed to remember to thank Pepper, again. With a heavy heart, he opened up Steve's messages.

_**Steve: **_

_**-Hope you're happy.**_

_**-Damn it Tony. I thought you were different.**_

_**-Can't leave my damn apartment because for you. If I starve to death, stay away from my funeral.**_

_**-It's on the news.**_

_**-Call me now. I need to talk to you.**_

_**-I need you to call me now.**_

_**-Tony.**_

_**-Tony**_

_**-I'm done with this. Screw you.**_

Many of Steve's recent text messages were filled with excerpts from the tabloids, each of them ending with a question mark. With his heart pumping, Tony pressed the call button, needing to speak to Steve. He had to apologize at least, for the way he acted.

Steve didn't answer.

Tony sighed, placing his phone down. What had he done?

His phone rang. Tony answered the call, hopeful for a bit.

"I see you're still alive," Howard's stiff voice rang.

Tony gulped. "Yeah. Listen, Howard, I need to explain some things…"

"No need. I've seen enough. To think I almost thought you had changed Anthony," Howard sighed. "I wonder if your mother would have approved of you behavior. Goodness knows she was the only one who could understand you."

"Yeah well, she usually made the effort to get to know me, instead of sending fancy gifts and money," Tony said.

Howard sighed. "I run a law firm Anthony. I own stock in several international trading companies, and I provide valuable income to help support your needs. Clearly, I am the one who should be disappointed. I cannot, will not, keep letting you waste years of hard-earned money on your depravities."

"What are you saying?" Tony asked.

"As of now, you are no longer allowed to use the Stark account. You will also lose your privileges at work. No more office, no more assistants," Howard said grimly.

"What?" Tony shouted. "I earned some of that money, you know that!"

"What you earn is essentially mine; I **own** the firm. Expect no special favors Anthony. From now on, you will be a regular employee. Anything you say or do will be held into account while you work for me," Howard said stiffly.

"Fine," Tony said bitterly. "I guess it doesn't matter to you if I am your son or not; as long as I'm a disgrace to the family, you can just hide me under the table."

"And with that, I leave you be," Howard said. "Oh, and Mr. Rogers will no longer be of need to the firm. I will have one of the receptionists inform him of his dismissal."

"Howard," Tony began to say, but the call ended. He cursed. "Damn it all."

* * *

It was Wednesday. Tony had spent the past few days contemplating going to work or not, but it needed t be done.

He had to. There were cases he still had to finish, clients to talk to, and Tony was sure he was going crazy waiting in his dirty condo for Steve's call. The walk to his car was eventful; a few reporters followed him, hounding his car and shouting questions at the top of their lungs.

"You know I can hear you just fine right? No need to yell," He muttered, using a squeegee to lean the frost off the windshield. It was the first and last thing he said to them, as h got in the car and drove off.

It seemed like time sped by, his car making its way down familiar streets to the Stark firm. Tony sat in his car, his eyes focused on the building in front of him. The building had never looked so ominous, the tall structure looming over the crowded streets, casting a dark shadow over everything.

Tony walked towards the building, bracing himself for the small crowd of reporters sitting in front of the building. He ignored their questions, opening the door without too much of a fuss. He made it to the receptionist's area without seeing anyone, and he noted the hushed tones that befell the ladies in the office.

Their eyes darted from their work to stare at him. Tony stood straight, and walked towards his office, noting with regret the empty desk in the corner. He turned the knob, ready for the onslaught of paperwork, but there was none. In fact, the entire office had been emptied, save for the desk and chairs. He searched the drawers, but even his small stash of almonds had been taken.

One of the receptionists walked in silently. "You've been moved downstairs."

"Thanks," He said dully, groaning loudly as he walked out. The walk to the elevator was eerily morbid; the silent women looking at him reproachfully. Tony ignored them; making his way downstairs.

Phones rang loudly amidst the tightly packed cubicles. People rushed by with files stacked under their arms, taking only a glance at him as they headed off to meet their clients. Someone tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hey Stark, your special case Mrs. Rochester is on line 1 for you. She's been waiting since Monday," The man said. "Sure seems eager to meet you."

"Thanks, uh," Tony tried to say.

"James Rhodes. Call me Rhodey," he said, leading Tony to his desk.

"Anthony Stark. Tony for short," Tony answered, taking a seat. The old multi-call phone was sitting at the edge of the light brown desk, and indeed, the small lights on the phone were blinking.

"I'm meeting a client now. The break rooms in the back; avoid the coffee machine at all costs. The cookies on the table have been there since Christmas, so don't get too excited," Rhodey looked at his watch. "I have to go. One last piece of advice: try not to get on people's bad sides here. There are people here who will throw you under the bus for a chance to rise to the top."

"Thanks," Tony said.

"Hey, I'm not sugarcoating this for you; many of the legal associates here are ready to rip your skin off. Don't let them," Rhodey said. With a wave, he walked way.

Tony kept his head down. After spending the entire day apologizing to his clients, he had managed to get some work done. He had to get used to doing things himself; no one was willing to run copies or find case numbers for him here. Back in his condo, he sighed, letting his body sink into the sofa. He pulled out his phone, half-heartedly hoping for some random call from someone. Preferably blonde, with nice eyes and words of encouragement.

He pressed call, hoping Steve would pick up. Actually, he hoped the blond man would answer with a nice tone, play off a few apologies, and hopefully get something straightened out. No matter how oppressing work was, he needed to know Steve was okay.

Obviously, whatever being watching over him was not kind.

"Tony."

"You answered this time," Tony said slowly.

"I have nothing else to do. It seemed fitting that you'd call, especially after losing my job," Steve said grimly.

"Listen, I can't do anything about your job. Hoard has me downstairs now, and I'm swamped. You really did help me out alot y'know," Tony said.

"Shut up Tony," Steve said.

"Hey, that's not -"

"I have no job Tony. No job. I have rent to pay, food to buy, clothes to wash, and I have no money to do so," Steve ranted. "God, you're so spoiled! At least Howard kept you! Now I have to scramble to find some decent job so that I can have a place to stay. You want to make fun of this, call Adam. He's a real joy."

"I'm not making a joke of this Steve, I thought that I could trust you to be there for me," Tony said.

"I trusted you. And you go and get drunk, try to assault me, and then have the decency to call me back, pretend that everything's okay? Where's my apology huh? Where's the joke in that?"

"What are you talking about?" Tony asked.

"You lying sack of shit! You honestly don't remember?" Steve asked.

"I don't, did I do something that night?"

Steve let out a breathy laugh. "And I thought you were different. Fuck you Tony Stark. Don't call me ever again."

* * *

It's not much of an update. Actually, it's worse that I chose the week of Valentine's Day for this. Ha, I really am just tired. Anyways, a million apologies for the lateness. I'll see if I can scrape some time out before Thursday to write. If not, I have the weekend off, so definitely expect an update.

Tell me what you think!

**Reviews (because you guys are too awesome to ignore):**

**Mimi Striker:** Thank you lovely :) I am sorry to keep you waiting, but I hope I did well for this chapter. (PS: I don't like Adam either :/ )

**jack2724:** Thank you so much! It was no small feat coming back, but I knew I had to. Thanks for the encouragement :)


	10. Chapter 10

Hey guys! Thanks so much for reading/reviewing/favoriting/following this story! :)

**Warnings**: Few swears, drama, nothing too serious.

* * *

**Chapter 10**

"I'm sorry, Mr. Graham, I can't seem to find anything wrong in this contract," Tony said.

"To hell with that! I know that son of a bitch is cheating me, I know it!" The irate Mr. Graham said. "Look at paragraph four again!"

Tony tried his best not to roll his eyes.

The morning passed slowly. By the end, Mr. Graham walked out of the small conference room, muttering darkly and refusing to shake Tony's hand. The dark-haired man just sighed, and walked to his desk.

"Rough day in the field eh?" Rhodey said. They were conveniently next to each other, their work areas adjacent to one another. The pair got along well, despite Tony's troubles with the other office employees. Tony often found that the other associates would withhold information from him if he asked them for help, but Rhodey would always be glad to look something up if he had the time.

"Some people think they have a good case, but they just don't understand that it's in the contract," Tony sighed. "I miss my old list of clients."

"The big names and fancy suits? Nah man, here's where all the fun is," Rhodey said with a grin. "All the crazies come here. Can't get any more real than this."

"Are we working here boys?" Neal sneered as he approached. "It would be a shame to have to write you up."

"We're discussing possible strategies for my court case this week," Rhodey said.

"Don't forget your other cases too. Clients are dropping us like flies; we gotta do our part and keep the ones we have," Neal glared at Tony. "Can you do that Stark?"

"Of course," Tony answered.

Neal snorted. "Keep your problems to yourself next time. Some of us actually _need_ this job because we don't have a rich daddy to give us cash."

With that, Neal walked away. Tony sighed, and ran his hand through his hair. "Is that why none of the other associates will talk to me?"

"Mostly because Howard hates you right now. No one really wants to be on his bad side, and - is right. We have lost a lot of clients in the past week," Rhodey leaned back in his chair. "It's not ideal, but we'll get through. This firm has a clean reputation, so clients will come."

"Not as clean with me here," Tony muttered.

"Believe me, there are people in this room, besides you, who have way too many skeletons in their closet. Thing is, they're good at pretending they're saints," Rhodey said. "You just have to stay low for a while. The story will die down eventually, and you'll move up in the ranks."

"I hope you're right," Tony said.

* * *

Within the week, Steve managed to find a job as a barista at a small coffee shop. It was close to Clint's work, so the two would often meet a bit while Clint had his break.

"I mean, it's not a bad job, but it's not much income," Steve said, holding a small cup of water.

"Hey, you make great coffee. And you have job experience too, so just keep looking. You never know what might pop up," Clint said, sipping his coffee.

"I'm getting into contact with some people I knew from college, but they're only offering me jobs out of the state," Steve sighed. "I don't want to leave."

"Why? What's holding you back?" Clint asked.

"Well, my mom for instance. I don't want her to worry more. And I don't want to leave you or Natasha either; you guys keep me sane," Steve said.

"And fed," Clint added.

"I also sorta like the climate here," Steve said.

"Steve, you know that if you leave, your mom is okay with you leaving for work. Tasha and I will be sad, but if it's what you have to do, we'll support you," Clint said. "The climate here's shit anyway; I can't ever decide if I should wear a parka or board shorts, especially on days like these."

He gestured to the window, where a strong breeze drifted through the streets. The sun shone bright and warm, but people were shuffling by with their coats tucked tightly against their chests, heads bowed.

"Yeah, you're right. The weather sucks," Steve used.

"I wake up freezing, and then by the middle of the day, I'm taking off the layers. And the cycle continues," Clint said. "Call those people back about the job. It wouldn't hurt you if you tried."

"I guess I will," Steve said. He looked at the empty register. "I should get back to work. The lady who I'm working for is nice, but strict. Can't spend all day talking to you."

"Yeah, and I have to go teach some loser how to hold a gun," Clint said. "I'll talk to you later okay? Tasha's making stir fry tonight, so try to get off early."

"I will," Steve said. For the rest of the day, Steve worked hard, mixing drinks and keeping the counters clean. His phone buzzed a couple of times, but he ignored it. Finally, he got off work, and headed towards the bus stop. Pulling out his phone he checked his messages as he waited. Some were from his mother, checking up on him. He wrote her back, trying to make the situation less important than it was. He ignored the texts from Tony. Steve wasn't ready to talk to him again.

Dinner with Clint and Natasha went by quickly, and soon Steve found himself standing in front of his apartment. He was ready to crash on his bed and sleep, but fate had other plans. Just as he pulled his key out, a gloved hand grabbed his. He heard shuddering gasps, and he smelled a familiar cologne wafting through the air.

"Hey," Tony said breathlessly.

"What are you doing here?" Steve said, refusing to look to him. His hand shook in Tony's grip, and he pulled away quickly.

"I just got off work. I ran over here as fast as I could," Tony gulped in some air. "Never mind that. Can I talk to you for a bit?"

"I don't want to talk," Steve said grimly,moving forward to open the locked gate.

"Well, I think we owe it ourselves to talk," Tony said, glancing around. "Whatever I did or said that night… I'm sorry. I just don't want us to fall apart because for this."

"Apology not accepted," Steve said, pushing the door open with more force than necessary. Tony grabbed his shoulder.

"Why won't you forgive me? Look, Adam put something in my drink that night. The little punk played me, but that's over now," Tony said.

Steve gave a hollow laugh and answered sarcastically, "Sure, whatever you say Tony."

"It's true!" Tony protested. "He tried to get me to look like a fool in front of you and the press, I had no control!"

"Tony, contrary to popular opinion, the world does not revolve around you," Steve said irately. "Look, I tried to get to know you, and I got hurt. I'm not making the same mistake again."

"But I haven't done anything!" Tony shouted exasperatedly.

The blond turned to face him, disbelief in his face. "You don't remember?"

"No, I don't. All I know is that I drank something, acted stupid, and wound up back at my apartment," Tony said. Steve looked up to the sky.

"Kill me now. Please, just smite me," he whispered. Steve looked back at Tony, and with a loud sigh, he spoke. "That night, I took you back to your car after you drank your ass off."

_The alcohol on his breath was strong. So strong…_

"Out of nowhere, you came onto me. You pushed me to the ground. You kept saying that I smelled nice."

_His fingers were cold. So cold…_

"I didn't…" Tony said in disbelief.

"No; I pushed you off before you did." Steve answered. "I wanted to stop, but you kept trying..."

Steve's body shook. He turned around, not letting Tony see the glistening tears on his face. "I need you to go now."

"I don't want to. I can't… I am sorry, I really am. Oh my gosh," Tony said, his eyes widened. "I don't, how…"

"Please go," Steve whispered.

"You have to know that I never meant to hurt you. Please Steve," Tony said, reaching out to him.

"_Don't touch me!_" Steve shouted, running into the building. The doors slammed with a deep thud, leaving Tony outside.

* * *

"Did your date not go well?" Rhodey asked the next day.

"I didn't go out on a date," Tony said dully. His head was pounding, but the true pain lay within his body, guilt running through his veins.

"Okay then. Bad night?" Rhodey said.

"I did something stupid to someone I cared for very much. Now he won't talk to me," Tony muttered, rustling through some paperwork absentmindedly. There were no new cases for him, so he was stuck finishing the paperwork to close his other cases.

"Did you try to get to third base on the first date? Believe me, I've been there," Rhodey said assuredly. "Not with guys though; I prefer the more feminine type."

"No," Tony said. "And for your information, I could get to third base on the first date if I tried."

"But you didn't. Instead, you're moping over some paperwork. Actually, you kinda look like your dog just died," Rhodey said.

"I love dogs," Tony said.

"Well, you're all sad and mopey. You look like you're one bad day away from snapping," Rhodey answered, typing away at his computer.

"It's just… how do you fix an irreversible mistake?" Tony said.

"White-out; works every time," Rhodey absentmindedly said.

"I'm not talking about a contract," Tony said sullenly, "Like you hurt someone who really liked you in the worst possible way, and you can't just fix it with an apology and some flowers. How do you gain their forgiveness?"

"You don't." Rhodey looked at Tony. "It shouldn't be so much about getting forgiveness, as showing remorse for the action that caused the problem. Any fool can ask for forgiveness, but can they erase the doubt and fear from the other's mind?"

"What are you saying?" Tony asked.

"Think of it as a road to redemption. You can't see the end of the road, but you can see what's in front of you. Handle the problems you can see."

"What if it's not enough to make the other person forgive me?" Tony said.

"You'll never know if you've succeeded, but if you can forgive yourself, then some form of redemption has fallen upon you."

That night, Tony sat in a small booth at the local fast food restaurant, thinking hard about Rhodey's words. Obviously, he had tried to ask for forgiveness, and that ended badly. But what else could he do?

* * *

"Hello, what can I get for you?" Steve asked for the millionth time. The weather had turned cold and grey with idle threats of rain to keep people moving. The coffee shop was full of customers, and Steve rushed the orders, hoping to get as many people served as possible. His next customer made Steve's eyes widen.

"Can I get a large cup of black coffee?" Steve glared at Tony, who looked at him sheepishly.

"What are you doing here?" He hissed, noting the line of customers behind Tony.

"I heard this was the best spot to get coffee around here," Tony said in an unconvincingly curious tone. "Also, Pepper helped me find you. She asked your friend for information."

Steve looked at him for a moment, and sighed. He turned to a young woman next to him, pouring the coffee beans into the machine. "One large black coffee."

"Coming right up," She said quickly.

"Is this where you're working?" Tony asked politely.

Steve ignored him, choosing to service the customer behind Tony. The more orders he filled, the less awkward Steve felt.

"How's your mother?" Tony asked, trying to be nonchalant.

"Fine," Steve said mutely, handing him a hot cup of coffee.

"Is this it? You're just going to ignore me?" Tony said quietly.

"I'm working," Steve answered, handing the other customer his order. "Please move out of the way; I have other people I need to attend to."

Tony just stood there for a moment, before he turned around to the poor woman behind him, and handed her his cup.

"There you go; cream and sugar are over on the table over there," he gestured to the small wooden table full of different creamers and sugars.

"B-But I wanted a latte," She sputtered out. Tony rolled his eyes.

"Look, I hurt this man in the worst possible way. He trusted me, and I just want him to know that I want him to accept that I made a mistake and stop treating me like I'm a monster, and hopefully we can get back on track to dating, maybe falling in love. Excuse me for not ordering you a latte, but I'm sure you're a romantic at heart. Accept the coffee," Tony said. The woman blushed but she stepped away to fix her drink. The people in line just looked at him.

"Well, are you going to apologize to him or what?" A man in line said.

"I'm getting to that," Tony said, turning around to Steve. The blond looked bewildered. "Steve, I know that what I did was unforgivable. I want to blame Adam for what he did, but I also blame myself for listening to him and losing your trust. It's as much my fault as it is his. I don't want to ask you for your forgiveness, because I still hurt you, and that's okay. I just want to know that I didn't ever want to hurt you, and if I was in my right mind I would have never touched you that way."

Tony looked at Steve. "I still think you're one of a kind. I wish I could go back and fix what I did, but I can't."

The shop fell silent, everyone's eyes on the pair. Steve felt his face turn red, and looked down at the register. "After what you did… I can't see myself feeling safe enough to trust you like that again."

"I know," Tony said quietly.

"I accept your apology… but I can't get hurt like that again. I lost my job because of you, and I just…" Steve took a deep breath. "I want to give you another chance, but I just can't help but feel like I'm going to get hurt again."

One of the people in line piped up. "Kid, this guy's trying to make ya feel better. I ain't smart, but I know that when a man makes a fool of himself for someone they like, they mean business."

"Thank you," Tony whispered to him.

Steve looked pensive. "Give me time. I promise I'll try, but I can't get close to you right now."

"One chance is all I need," Tony said in relief.

* * *

Okay, I'm exhausted; please tell me if I've misspelled something. I just wanted to upload something before Valentine's Day and I get stuck sitting behind the popular girls with their heart balloons in class, and smiling couples ordering large milkshakes to share at work... sigh. Either way, I'm not focusing on that. Since I'm sure I won't have time to update tomorrow, Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

**Reviews:**

**Zeldachic459:** I can't believe you (still!) love this! Thank you so much! Hope you like this chapter :)

**jack2724:** I'm so glad you liked it dear! I wish I could write faster or get more time to write to keep readers like you happy :)


	11. Chapter 11

Thank you to everyone reading this story! As always, you guys are awesome :)

Warnings: Swears, what else? Oh, a badly written fight, courtesy of Adam.

* * *

Steve knocked on Clint's front door, shifting from one foot to another. His hands were clasped tight, a nervous expression on his face. The door opened slowly, revealing a smiling Clint holding a steaming bowl of broccoli. Steve turned his face in disgust.

"Ugh, what is that?" Steve held his nose.

"Broccoli. Tasha says we need to keep you properly fed, and that means more vegetables," Clint said. "We're practicing on you so that when it comes time for us to have a baby, we'll be ready."

Steve glared at Clint. "I'm an adult Clint, I get to choose whether I want to eat funky smelling veggies or not."

"Yeah, but Tasha will be more accepting of your surprise dinner guest of you eat her broccoli," Clint looked at Tony, who had been standing there quietly with his hands in his pockets. Tony waved, but Clint narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

"Hello Clint," Tony said amiably. Clint huffed.

"What is he doing here?" Clint asked Steve, ignoring Tony's greeting.

"He showed up at my apartment and gave me a ride," Steve said simply. Clint raised his eyebrow in suspicion.

"He just showed up… and waited outside your apartment?" Clint said slowly.

"It's less stalkerish than you think," Tony interjected. "I happened to be in the neighborhood, and I wanted to invite Steve to dinner. He told me he had plans, and I offered to drive him here. He decided to invite me inside."

"I know he doesn't eat at work unless there's food brought to him, so I brought him to try Tasha's lasagna," Steve added.

"What's this about my lasagna?" The auburn-haired woman appeared at the doorway, her face a little sweaty. "Why are we standing at the front door and not setting up the table?"

"Steve brought a guest," Clint said, gesturing towards Tony. Natasha looked questioningly at Steve.

"What is he doing here?" She asked.

"He wanted to get dinner with him," Cline said, glaring at the dark-haired man. Tony tried his best to look nonchalantly at the glossy white tiled floor.

"Is it okay if he stays?" Steve asked, looking at Natasha with wide pleading eyes. She sighed, her face relaxing.

"Anthony Stark," Natasha began to say. "You will sit and eat my delicious lasagna and have two servings of broccoli. Is this understood?"

"Yes ma'am," Tony said, nodding his agreement.

"Good," Natasha smiled. "You may come in and set the table."

Tony looked like he was about to protest, but one sharp glare forom the woman had him silnenced. Steve and Clint watched as Tony walked in quickly, following Natasha to the dining area. They wore shocked expressions.

"Tasha holds the power in your relationship huh?" Steve said.

"She's a dictator. Last night she made me sleep on the couch because I forgot to pick up milk after work," Clint shuddered. "She_ yelled_ at me Steve. My mom never yelled at me like Tasha does."

Steve patted Clint's shoulder. "Come on, let's head inside."

Everyone was silent at the dinner table. The sounds of clinking forks filled the small room, and everyone had two servings of broccoli, much to Natasha's delight. After dinner, they headed to watch a movie on the television, Natasha propping herself on Clint's chest. Steve sat in the armchair, looking smug as Tony sat uncomfortably on the other side of the couch, trying to avoid looking at the happy couple.

"How's work?" Steve asked Tony as Clint perused the selection on Netflix.

"It's good. I have work so I'm glad," Tony said. "How are things with you?"

"I'm getting by," Steve said. Tony looked at him questioningly.

"What does 'getting by' signify?" He asked. Steve shifted in his seat.

"Nothing really," Steve said.

"Steve, is there something you're not telling us?" Tasha piped up, looking at Steve.

Steve shrugged his shoulders. "It's fine you guys. I'm just trying to scrape up cash to pay my rent. My landlord's being nice and giving me an extension."

"Why didn't you tell us you were having money problems?" Clint said, putting the remote control down.

"I don't want to complain to you guys all the time," Steve said.

"Steve, we're your friends, we want to know if you're in trouble. Maybe we can loan you some money," Natasha said. Steve shook his head.

"Tasha, I can't take your money," he said. Tony opened his mouth to speak, but Steve looked at him. "I won't be asking you for any help Tony, so just keep your mouth shut."

Tony closed his mouth. He looked at the blond man with regret in his eyes. "I'm sorry."

"You've said that before. What's done is done," Steve said, turning to look at the television.

* * *

Steve walked out of his latest job interview, dejected and hopeless. His interviewer had taken one good look at him, recognizing him from the tabloid picture and sneered. Steve had no chance in hell at getting the job after that. He rounded the corner of the street, hoping the bus stop was empty. Suddenly, he felt someone grab his shoulder and spin him. Steve gasped, shock on his face as Adam stood there, smirking.

"Steve! What a pleasure it is seeing you again," he said in a taunting voice. "Nice shirt, are you heading to work?"

"No, actually I just finished an interview," Steve said.

"Hmm," Adam circled the blond, eyeing him closely. "Has Stark fucked you yet?"

"What?" Steve blushed as he looked at the smirking man. "T-That's none of your business!"

"He hasn't," Adam tsked. "Well, after what happened that night at Noir I thought you guys would have gone straight to a hotel or something."

Steve narrowed his eyes, sticking his hands in his pockets. "What is your problem Adam? Do you hate Tony or something?"

Adam laughed. "Oh please, I couldn't care less about him. But…" He looked at Steve, pulling out the fabric from his pockets. "I do need cash. Selling a story about the black sheep of the Stark family to the press made me a lot of money." He got closer to Steve, grinning widely.

"How about you? The press would love to hear about Tony's secrets, and you could make a pretty penny off of it," Adam gave a quick nod at Steve's outfit. "You look like you need the cash more than I do."

Steve glared at him. "I would never break Tony's trust for some cash. Unlike you, I realize that trust is not easily earned."

"You think Stark knows that? He trusted me that night at Noir, and look where that got you. Front page of some trashy magazine," Adam sneered.

"So Tony was right? You did spike his drink that night?" Steve asked, nonchalantly pulling out his phone, pretending to check the time. He actually pressed the record button, letting the camera phone record the unsuspecting man.

"Of course. He didn't want to cause a scene and screw things up with you, so he drank the whiskey," Adam rolled his eyes. "I put something in the glass before giving it to him. I gave him back the rush in his life, and it put money in my pocket. It was the best choice I ever made."

"You ruined his life to make money?" Steve said angrily. "You're sick, you know that Adam?"

Adam narrowed his eyes. "Oh boo-hoo, you don't get to judge. No one dates Stark unless they need the cash. You're after his money the same way I am, except you get to enjoy the perks of being in a relationship."

"For your information, I'm not dating Tony anymore. And even if I was, I wouldn't date him for his money; I have more class than that," Steve said. "I'm not some two faced loser who can't even value what they have."

"You little shit, do you think you're better than me?" Adam said scornfully.

"No, I know I'm better than you,' Steve said.

"Take that back!" Adam shouted, alerting the people passing by.

"Nope," Steve said. Adam growled, aiming his fists at Steve's face. Steve dodged them easily, tackling the man down on the ground.

"Get off of me!" Adam shouted maniacally, wrapping his hands around Steve's throat. Steve tried to pull away, but Adam's grip was too tight. He gasped for breath, pushing on Adam's chest and moving his body wildly. A pair of arms grabbed him roughly, letting air rush into his lungs.

"Alright, break it up!" Someone shouted. Steve watched a passerby grab a struggling Adam and restrain him.

"The police are on their way," The stranger said, patting Steve's shoulder. Steve gulped.

"Look, I don't want there to be a misunderstanding," he started to say, but the man who helped him interrupted.

"Don't worry about it, I saw the whole thing from my office," He explained. Steve looked at him gratefully.

"Thanks, um," Steve held out his hand, "I'm Steve."

"I'm Bruce Banner, nice to meet you," Bruce said, shaking Steve's hand. "Well, aside from the whole fight I just broke up."

"You couldn't have come at a better time," Steve said, his eyes darting to look at the police car appearing on the scene. Steve recounted his story to the police, and assured them he was fine. They left with Adam handcuffed in the back seat.

"Whew," Steve let out a deep breath. "That's not how I imagined my day would go by."

Bruce smiled. "You're not the only one."

* * *

"Let me get this straight. You, Steve Rogers, got into a fight in broad daylight?" Clint said over the phone. Steve was home, bundled up in a mess of blankets.

"Yeah, luckily no one got hurt," Steve said, wiggling his cold toes.

"Well, I'm glad you're okay," Clint said.

"I did get help from someone. His name's Bruce," Steve said nonchalantly.

"Oh~ Are we looking at another crush?" Clint said mockingly. Steve blushed.

"No, it's not like that. Bruce is already in a relationship, and it's going well from what he told me," Steve said. "He works at a graphic design company; I'm so jealous. I wish there were openings at his office."

"Shoot. I was hoping I could rub it in Stark's face," Clint said dejectedly.

"You're mean, you know that? Completely cruel," Steve said with a grin. "You didn't even pay attention to my 'woe is me, I'm a graphic design major with no future' spiel."

"I think that you'll find someplace willing to share your vision with the rest of the world," Clint said. "And besides, Stark's a total loser; he deserves the cold shoulder. Anyone who hurts you is not okay in my book."

Steve took a moment to respond. "Maybe I'm getting over it."

"Hold on. Are you seriously considering giving this guy another chance?" Clint asked.

"No, I'm just not going to hold a grudge over it," Steve said slowly. "I may not be ready to get close to him again, but I can try being friends with him again."

"I just don't think you should. That guy's a monster when he's drunk," Clint said. Steve sighed; he had told Clint a watered-down version of what happened, omitting the assault. Clint had turned into a raging hulk, threatening to chop Tony's balls off, but Steve managed to calm him down.

"Hey, you're a pervert when you're drunk. You don't see me locking you up every time you decide to have too much to drink," Steve said.

"Just be careful. I don't want to see you get hurt again," Clint said. "This time, I won't hold back."

* * *

At work, Tony answered the phone often, hoping some case would pop up. Most of his cases were people who tended to be hysterical and weepy, and most of the time had no real case to argue. Tony watched the other lawyers around him snicker at his light workload, parading their numerous lawsuits around Tony's work area, daring him to try and find a good case.

"Stark and Associates, how may I be of service?" Tony said dully.

"Save me Tony~" A teasing voice said, and Tony stood up straight. He recognized the voice.

"Adam," He grimly said. "What do you want?"

"Relax; I'm not actually calling for you. I need a lawyer," Adam said. "Truth is, I got into a little pickle with the law, and I need a lawyer to handle my case."

"I'm sorry, but I only handle civil cases. I barely know anything about criminal cases," Tony said.

"Well that sucks. I have a court case I need to prepare for," Adam said.

"I can give you the number of a firm that handles cases like yours," Tony rummaged through his drawers. "Give me a minute?"

"Anything for you," Adam said mockingly. "Besides, while I've got you here, I might as well ask: can you keep your boy toy from testifying against me?"

Tony froze. "What?"

"He didn't tell you? We got into a little… _disagreement_ a few days ago, and now I've got to sing it to a judge," Adam said.

Tony leaned back in his chair, pinching the skin between his eyebrows. He closed his drawers. "I can't find the number, sorry."

"What a load of help you were," Adam said sarcastically, hanging up the phone. Tony groaned loudly, placing the phone down. Rhodey looked over at him.

"You okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, just fine," Tony grumbled. "I just need to get out of here and take care of a few things. Do you think you can cover for me?"

Rhodey looked around, noting the faces sitting at their desks. "Yeah sure."

"If anyone asks, tell them I'm meeting a client. I don't need Howard on my case," Tony said, pulling his jacket on.

"Don't worry about it," Rhodey said. "I do expect you to pay for lunch as thanks."

Tony handed him a couple of bills. "There you go. The place down the street has great corn dogs."

"I'll keep that in mind," Rhodey said. "Good luck."

Tony looked at him gratefully. "Yeah, thanks."

* * *

Steve sighed, and bought a deli sandwich. It was a little pricey, but the meat was tender and juicy, piled high and enveloped in twin slices of soft and fluffy bread. He chewed on it slowly, walking from the bus stop to his apartment. He had gotten lucky; his boss gave him the afternoon off, saying she needed to close shop early to take inventory.

Tony stood in front of his apartment, eyes fixated on his phone. Steve rolled his eyes.

"The neighbors are gonna start thinking you're a stalker," Steve said jokingly, alerting Tony.

"I didn't want to bother you at work," Tony said lamely.

"Didn't stop you before," Steve said simply. Tony grimaced.

"Yeah, sorry about that."

Steve shook his head. "Don't worry about it. Do you need something?"

"Yes. I mean, I don't _need_ something, but I just want to know if you're okay," Tony said nervously.

"What do you mean?" Steve asked.

"Adam called me at work. He said he had to go to court and he mentioned you," Tony said.

Steve let out a breath. "Oh, yeah. The police called me in, checked my story, and decided to press charges. I told them I didn't have time to get involved, but I guess they're still going ahead with that."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Tony asked.

"I didn't think it as necessary," Steve said.

"It is to me," Tony said, stepping closer to Steve. "How do you think it makes me feel, knowing you were attacked by that bastard?"

"Tony, we're not dating," Steve said seriously. "I don't have to tell you anything if I don't want to."

Tony let out a sigh of frustration. "You really don't want me to get close do you?"

"No, it's not that," Steve said. "I just want to handle things by myself okay? I can't depend on people all the time."

"You have people who care about you Steve, including me." Tony grabbed Steve's hand, lacing their fingers together. "I want to help, in any way that I can."

Steve blushed, his hand shaking in Tony's grip. "There's really nothing I need."

"I have some money. Not a lot, of course. Howard's being a stickler about that; he's only letting me use the money my mom left me," Tony said, rummaging his pockets. "I do have some money coming in. Pepper's investing my money in a few projects, and hopefully I can get something settled with Howard."

He pulled out a thin leather wallet, prying some bills from the case. Steve looked at him skeptically, unwilling to touch the money. "I'm not taking your money Tony."

"Even if I'm offering it to you, no strings attached?" Tony said hopefully. Steve shook his head.

"I can't accept something that I haven't earned," He said. "Thank you though, for caring."

"How about lunch? If I take you out, then you can't complain about cash and you won't starve?" Tony asked.

"I can't—" Steve began, but Tony began pulling him down the street. "C'mon, we need to get some food in you!"

"I already ate Tony!" Steve said with a laugh.

"Oh come on! I thought I was going to save the day!" Tony shook his head, smiling at Steve. "I guess we're going to have to postpone this food excursion."

"I do have some stale bread at home if you want," Steve offered. Tony looked at him incredulously.

"You'd let me in your apartment?"

Steve blushed. "I'm not inviting you for sex or anything, just a lame lunch. Unless, you want to get food somewhere else, that's completely fine with me."

"No, no, I'll be fine really," Tony said quickly. Unfortunately, his stomach betrayed him and let out a loud growl, further embarrassing the dark-haired man. "Um, I think I'll get a burger or something."

"I'll walk with you," Steve said, and the two walked hand in hand to the nearest fast food place. The two chatted for a while about work, enjoying the crisp breeze on an otherwise warm day.

* * *

Okay, I really need to stop. Long chapters sap my energy :P

Hopefully, I move their relationship forward next chapter, but for now, Steve and Tony are friends. Oh, and Bruce will not be a love interest, but he will be showing up later. I'm planning the next chapter in advance, and hopefully (if everything goes according to my plan) I'll have a fresh update next weekend. As always, feel free to review, favorite, or just enjoy :)

**Reviews**

**Jack2724: **You liked the coffee shop scene? Ha ha, wow thanks! Hope you liked this chapter :)


	12. Chapter 12

Hello again lovely readers! Early update, yeah! :)

**Warnings:** none, except a for a few words.

* * *

"How are things at your company?" Steve asked Bruce over coffee. They had become fast friends, spending a few times out of the week in each other's company. Bruce was a very good listener, and he had really good advice. It didn't help that Steve could talk about his superhero addiction with someone else.

"We're good. This insurance company just contracted us to update their logo. We're working on samples, wanna see?" Bruce said, smiling when Steve nodded enthusiastically. He pulled out printouts of various logos, each incorporating the company's colors: red, white and blue.

"Very patriotic. I like the one with the stars under the company name," Steve pointed to the image.

"Yeah, I thought so too. The people I work with don't think so," Bruce pointed to a simple design, "They like that one. It would be more cost efficient, and is more 'modern-business' appropriate."

"But the company's called Patriot Insurance Company. Their logo should be a symbol of American pride, something that pops out to the customers," Steve argued. "Besides, there are hundreds of companies with similar logos; all of them have simple designs. The star catch people's eyes, and it really help place the company's name in the customer's head."

"I'll talk to the customer. Maybe they'll share you enthusiasm," Bruce agreed, taking a moment to sip at his drink. "May I ask why you're not doing this for a living?"

"Oh, well, after college I couldn't find a company willing to take me on. I was barely starting out, and it didn't help that I studied at some hick college that no one's heard about. I found work at some law firm doing errands instead," Steve fiddled with his cup. "I was fired recently though, so now I'm working in the food service business."

"I imagine there was a good reason," Bruce said, his eyebrow rising with Steve's casual shrug. "What? Don't tell me you did something to get fired?"

Steve tapped the top of his coffee lid erratically. "I don't know. I just got in way too deep with my boss."

"Did you end up in relationship with them?" Bruce asked.

"Yeah, we dated for a bit," Steve said.

"I can't say that your situation was ethical; after all, there's a reason for the strict rules on work relationships," Bruce said sympathetically. Steve smiled; Bruce wasn't chastising him for having a relationship with his boss. It was refreshing.

Steve continued, stirring his coffee, "Well, things happened and I found myself getting a phone call one morning, telling me that I was let go because of 'budget cuts'," Steve said in quotation marks. "I'm lucky I found a job at this coffee shop; I think I would be sleeping on my friends' couch without this job."

"I do imagine that this little setback didn't affect your relationship though," Bruce said, wiping stray coffee from his mouth.

"We sort of split up for a different reason," Steve said. "I really don't think I would've broken up with him otherwise."

"I assume it was something bad, because you look like the type of guy who'd be very loyal to his partner," Bruce pondered.

"I just feel like my trust was broken. How can I trust someone that breaks their promises so easily?" Steve said. "I mean, I understand that it was an accident, but it still doesn't lessen the sheer terror I felt."

"Relationships unravel easily if they aren't properly taken care of. But Steve," Bruce placed his hand on Steve's, "Do you still have feelings for this guy?"

"I…" Steve felt confused; did he still like Tony? "I do."

"Then your choice should be easy. You still trust him with your feelings, despite his mistakes. I don't think you should hide that from yourself," Bruce said, smiling. "Love is a powerful thing; it tends to melt away the pain."

That evening after work, Steve lay on his couch, his mind wandering to his conversation with Bruce. Could he be ready to give Tony another chance? He grabbed his phone, ready to make a decision. Looking through his contacts, he pressed call, hoping Tony would answer quickly, lest his nerves run off.

"Hello? Steve, is everything all right?" Tony said worriedly over the phone.

"N-No, everything's fine. I just," Steve gulped, his throat constricted. "Do you have time to meet me?"

"I get off work in an hour. Can you wait for me?" Tony said.

"Yeah; I'll be waiting outside the Stark building," Steve said.

"See you then," Tony said cheerfully.

* * *

It was getting late and the air was nice and warm under the glow of the setting sun. Steve pressed the back of his head to the cool marble of the Stark building, closing his eyes and enjoying the whooshing of the cars passing by. His phone began to ring, breaking Steve's minute of peace.

"Hey, are you outside?" Tony said hurriedly. Steve could hear him stepping out of the elevator, his steps faintly ringing over the phone.

"Yeah," Steve said calmly, taking slow breaths to keep his heart from racing.

"I'll be outside right about… now," Tony said, and Steve tilted his head to smile at the man. "You look good."

Steve looked at him skeptically. "I'm wearing a T-shirt and jeans with paint stains on them."

"Well, you know what I mean," Tony felt his face turn red. "I thought you… never mind. Why did you want to see me?"

"I was going to ask you to come with me to eat some delicious corn dogs. _Someone_ once told me they were heart attacks on sticks," Steve said. His nerves were getting the best of him; he already felt his hands getting sweaty.

"I was right," Tony laughed. "Should we head over there right now?"

"Sure. Afterwards, do you want to come to my apartment and watch a movie?" Steve asked in a tone that, he hoped, came off as nonchalant.

"Why not? I'd love to see this hidden world of yours," Tony grinned. "Did you hide your porn stash?"

Steve's cheeks turned a flaming red. "I'm a little offended you think I would have such a thing."

"Hey, we're both guys. Sometimes we need to take care of things down there; I know it helps," Tony said. They both walked down the street, Tony checking his parked car before heading to the food stand.

"Well, if I did have porn,_ not saying that I do_, it's hidden," Steve said, his face lighting up some. He tried to ignore Tony's smug look, focusing on the menu before him. "Hmm, should I get just get a corn dog or maybe a basket of pigs in a blanket? Oh, I've never had their Polish sausage hot dogs."

Tony eyed the menu. "How much grease is on these things?"

"Enough to make you regret it after your arteries clog up, "Steve said. "Oh, what the hell; I just got my paycheck anyway. Excuse me," he motioned to the food vendor, "Can I get a corn dog and an order of pigs in a blanket?"

"Yes sir," the vendor said, "Anythin' for yer friend?"

"I'll just have a corn dog and a water bottle, thanks," Tony said. The vendor prepared their orders, and after a small argument over who was paying, the two men walked off to Steve's apartment. Tony chewed on his corn dog, feeling the meat and corn mix slide down his throat. "Ugh, I think my throat's coated in grease."

"Mmm, mine too," Steve said cheerfully, enjoying his treat. "It's soo good."

"How do you stay so thin with your eating habits?" Tony said, eyeing the blond's figure.

"Clint and I go to the gym a few times in the week," Steve explained. "I also practiced martial arts in high school."

"Impressive," Tony glanced at the apartment building; feeling a bit excited when Steve opened the gate and held the door open for him to enter. He followed Steve to his apartment door, enjoying the various landscape portraits on the walls.

"My landlord's wife likes flowers. She put up all the decorations," Steve said, fiddling with the lock. "Sorry, sometimes, this thing jams up and I have to jiggle it."

"I'm in no rush," Tony said, wringing his hands in anticipation. The door clicked open, and Steve felt for the switch on the wall, turning on the light before letting Tony in.

In all, it was a simple apartment. A few picture frames were hanging on one wall. Book cases covered another wall, but not all of them were filled with books. Some held standing figures of comic book heroes, a few figures dressed in medieval clothing. Tony let his eyes wander, his body moving towards the bookcases.

"You collect these?" Tony asked, amazed at the extensive collection of books and comic book sets.

"Err, yeah," Steve answered. "It's something I've been doing since I was a kid."

"Ironman?" Tony eyed the figurine with envy. "Oh, he's my favorite!"

"I like Captain America," Steve said, sitting down on the couch. He rummaged the collection of movies on the coffee table. "I have a few options for movies, but most of them are superhero movies or action movies."

"Pick your favorite; I don't care," Tony said, subtly picking up the Ironman figurine.

"Captain America it is. And I suggest you put Ironman down before I hurt you," Steve amiably said, moving towards the old DVD player on top of the television. Tony sighed, and put the figurine down. He sat on the couch and soon, his strayed to Steve's back. Tony really didn't want to get kicked out for oogling the blind's butt, so he turned his head.

"I'm going to go get a blanket, do you want one? It gets kinds chilly in here," Steve asked, letting the previews play.

"Perky… I-I mean, okay!" Tony stammered. Steve gave him a confused look, moving towards the bedroom. He came back just as the movie menu came on, and he pressed play before heading to the sofa and handing Tony a dark green blanket. After arranging his blanket, Steve focused his gaze on the screen, ignoring the urge to get closer to Tony for warmth.

Eventually, a chill began to settle in. Steve tried to keep from shivering, but he couldn't hold in his shudders. A warm arm wrapped around his shoulders, and he felt a comforting heat settle on his side.

"I think you need a space heater or something, this room is freezing," Tony said. Steve tried to relax, but his heart felt like it was coming out of his chest.

"Y-Yeah. I turned off the heat to save some money. I've regretted my decision for many nights now," Steve said.

"No kidding," Tony said, letting his gaze fall back on the screen. "Does it ever bother you that you have the same name as a superhero?"

"No; does it bother you?" Steve asked. Tony shrugged.

"Nah, it's kinda cool. It's almost like I could be Ironman, you know. Except I don't have an awesome computer butler and my father's still alive," Tony said.

"Yeah, there's no secret serum to turn me into a superhero either," Steve sighed. "Guess we just have to settle for our normal human lives."

Tony murmured in agreement. They both watched the final scene of the movie together, and when the credits started rolling, Steve moved slightly. Tony had his eyes closed, fatigue settling over him. The blond quickly moved out of their little cocoon, turning off the DVD player. He burrowed back into Tony's warmth, placing his head gingerly on Tony's shoulder.

"Movie's over?" Tony said with his eyes still closed.

"Yeah, you kinda dozed off at the end," Steve said.

"Should I go?" The dark haired man asked, slowly opening one eyes to stare at the blond.

Steve looked at him, taking a deep breath. "Maybe you could stay a bit? I have the Ironman movie here…"

Tony gave Steve a questioning look. "Can I ask why you don't want me to leave?"

"I like the company?" Steve answered.

"Psh, yeah," Tony said. He slowly wrapped around Steve's waist, pulling him closer. Steve shuddered, and tried to pull away. After a moment of struggling, he realized that Tony was giving Steve control over how close their embrace was. Tony just lay on the couch, his arms only loosely on Steve's waist. With that realization, Steve placed his upper body against Tony's, letting the other man's scent fill his nostrils as he lay against his chest.

"Is this okay?" Tony said softly, pulling his other arm around Steve.

"Yeah," Steve murmured. They sat there, Steve leaning on Tony's chest, their bodies entangled in the pile of blankets on the sofa. Tony relaxed on the sofa, and almost missed Steve's whispered words. "I'm sorry."

"Why?" Tony asked.

"For doubting you," Steve whispered. "I worried that I would never be able to do this again, but being here with you… it feels nice."

"Can I ask you something?" When Steve nodded, Tony spoke, his voice faltering a bit. "Is there a chance of us getting together again?"

Steve stayed silent, his heart thrumming. He gripped Tony's shirt with one hand, and pushed himself up, until their faces were inches apart.

"I certainly wouldn't mind," He whispered, his warm breath making Tony's mouth twitch. Steve grinned at Tony's reaction. The dark haired man retaliated, pushing the blond backwards and climbing on top of him. Steve's eyes widened, panicking slightly, until Tony placed his hands on Steve's chest, feeling the blond man's heart race. Steve relaxed slowly, anxiety creeping in. What was Tony planning?

Tony hummed his appreciation, moving his hands upwards to cup Steve's face. Looking into his blue eyes, Tony silently asked for Steve's permission, his eyes pleading. There was no hesitation; Steve nodded, letting Tony lean in and bring their lips together, reveling in the rush of unbridled joy washing over him.

* * *

Dare I end it here? I don't know… maybe a little bit more of a conclusion, just to tie up a few loose strings :P

Erm, I've no idea when the next update will be. I do hope to have it up soon though! Until then, please enjoy this chapter! :)

**Reviews:**

**Jack2724:** Thanks! :)


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